Returning the Favor
by DragonoftheEastblue
Summary: Tsuna, enjoying some time off, saves Kyoko from being hit by a car, causing him to be seriously hurt. To repay him, Kyoko has self-appointed herself to look after Tsuna till he's fully recovered. Will things go smoothly? Not likely. TsunaxKyoko
1. Chapter 1: Instinct

Returning the Favor

Chapter 1: Instinct

Tsuna took a deep breath and smiled. To day was a gorgeous day. The sun was shining, the birds were singing and there wasn't a single Mafia related person around. Lambo and Ipin where with Fuuta and Bianchi at the zoo, Reborn was away on business as well as Varia, and his "family" was enjoying their weekend on their own. Now back from the future, Tsuna just wanted to relax and try to live a normal life. He decided to go see a movie and see if there was an interesting new video game at the mall.

Stopping at an intersection, he waited for the light to turn green. Then from the corner of his eye he saw someone he recognized. It was Kyoko.

'Kyoko-chan' he thought blushing. Maybe he could ask her is she'd like to go to the movies with him. They could go on a real date. Tsuna felt nervous but he mustered all he courage. Suddenly he heard a car coming loudly down the street. Kyoko seeing she could cross, began to walk to the other side. The oncoming car was not stopping or even slowing down.

"Kyoko-chan abunai!" shouted Tsuna running at her at break neck speed. Kyoko turned her head to Tsuna before looking at the car. Too scared to move she shut her eyes. Tsuna, with everything he had ran at Kyoko, his arms wrapping around her. Then all went black.

xXx

"_Tsu-kun!" _came a muffled call. Tsuna groaned.

"_Tsu-kun!"_

"_Tsuna-kun!"_

Tsuna, sure he was not hearing things in his head slowly opened his eyes. He saw his mother and Kyoko leaning over him.

"Kyoko-chan...ka-san" he said weakly, not sure what was going on.

"Tsu-kun!" shouted his mother wrapping her arms around him and kissing him on the cheek.

"Itai! Itatatatatai!" Tsuna shouted in pain. His mother pulled back and gasped apologetically.

"Gomen Tsu-kun! I'm just so glad your alright" she said with a smile, tears running down her cheeks.

"What happened?" he asked. He then remembered.

"Kyoko-chan!" he shouted sitting up but felt extreme pain and fell back down. His mother and Kyoko were at his side.

"Daijoubu?" they asked in unison. Tsuna grunted but was alright.

"Kyoko-chan, are you ok?" he asked.

"Of course I'm fine!" she shouted, tears pouring, "It's you that's not ok. You got hurt because of me! I wasn't paying attention and then you pushed me out of the way and got hit instead." Tsuna was taken aback by how worried she was about him. He then noticed he was in bandages from head to toe. Both his legs were in castes as well as his left arm which was in a sling. But he still smiled in relief.

"Yokatta" he said smiling. He then felt something on his right hand. He turned his head to see Kyoko was squeezing it. He blushed and hoped that she wouldn't let go. But for those who knew Tsuna, he had the worst luck in the world for at that moment, the doors of his recovery room burst open.

"Juudaime!"

"Tsuna!"

"Sawada!"

"Boss!"

"Tsuna-san!"

In the blink of an eye Tsuna was surround be his entire family and friends.

"Gomennasai! Gomennasai! Gomennasai! Gomennasai! Gomennasai! Gomennasai! Gomennasai!" shouted Gokudera repeatedly kneeling before Tsuna smacking his head on the floor as he bowed between words. "There's no way I'm worthy of being your right hand man if I can't even protect from something so trivial! Juudaime!"

"Sawada! Don't do on us! We need you for the boxing team! Get better and heal, TO THE EXTREME!" shouted Ryohei.

"Tsuna-san! Haru was so scared! Don't do anything so dangerous again! How can I be your wife if you die before we get married?" cried Haru.

"I got there as soon as possible Tsuna. My medical team did everything they could but it's going to take months for you to heal. Gomen" said Dino sadly, hating to see his little brother in such bad shape. The rest of the family gave their apologies and best wishes, not knowing what else they could do.

"Gokudera-kun, One-san, Haru, Dino-san, mina its alright" Tsuna said trying to calm everyone down. "If its anyone's fault its mine. I left my X-gloves and Hyper mode pills at home."

"Your right. That was a stupid thing to do Baka-Tsuna" said Reborn jumping on the bed and kicking Tsuna in the head.

"Itai! Just because I admitted it was my mistake doesn't mean you can hit me Reborn! I'm still hurt" shouted Tsuna.

"If you irritate a wound your body will understand the pain and heal faster" said Reborn with a smile.

"Like anyone's going to believe that!" shouted Tsuna quite irritated himself.

"Well I suppose there's nothing more we can do here" said Reborn placing his hands in his pockets. "I think it's best we leave him be and let him rest."

"Juudaime!" shouted Gokudera, "Tomorrow I'll come back bright and early to watch over you."

"But Gokudera, it's Monday tomorrow, we have school" said Yamamoto.

Gokudera flinched realizing his mistake. His eyes darkened, "I knew that Yakyuubaka."

"I'll bring you some of my old man's sushi from our shop" said Yamamoto with his trademark smile.

"I'll bring something for you too" said Bianchi but Tsuna quickly said it was unnecessary.

With that they began to leave, saying their goodbyes.

"Get well soon Boss" said Chrome.

"Don't worry he will" said Fuuta with a smile "Dino's medics are ranked 12th over 347 in 'Best Mafia Doctors'. Get better Tsuna-nii."

"Ahaihaihaihai!" laughed Lambo, "Tsuna got big booboos. Mama, can I have Tsuna room while he's here?" Suddenly a hand came down on Lambo's head lifting him in the air.

"How dare you day that Ahoushi!" shouted Gokudera pulling on the little hitman's body.

"Actually Tsuna can come home. We'll release him at the end of the day" said Dino.

"Now I can look after you like a wife should Tsuna-san" said Haru happily. Tsuna on the other hand shivered.

"Let's go everyone" said Reborn and with that the room was empty safe Tsuna and his mother.

"My my Tsu-kun" said his mother raising a hand to her cheek. "It must feel great to have so many friends looking after you."

"Ya" he said, still wondering how she could be oblivious that both her son and husband were involved in the mafia. But if there was one thing he was happy about Reborn showing up telling him he was the next in line to be the Leader of Vongola was that he had so many friends. Before he was a complete loner but now, he had true friends; true nakama. He couldn't admit this to Reborn for the Arcobaleno would take it as an acceptance of being the 10th Generation Boss of Vongola. At least now he had some peace and quite from it all. And he only needed to brake nearly every bone in his body to do it.

xXx

Tsuna yawned and opened his eyes to his own room. He turned his head and looked at his clock. It was 4:30 pm. He had slept for over 24 hours. He stared at the ceiling of his room, remembering what had happened. Then the door opened.

"Ah Tsu-kun you're awake" said his mother happily, "I was just going to check on you before going shopping. Do you need anything?"

"No I'm ok ka-san" he said with a smile, "Just tired."

"Alright I see you in a bit" she said closing the door. Tsuna closed his eyes, listening to his mother's foot steps and the front door opening. He then heard his mother speaking to someone but he couldn't make out who. He then heard foot steps on the stairs and the door of his room opened. There in the doorway was Kyoko.

"K-Kyoko-chan!" said Tsuna in surprise.

"Konichiwa Tsuna-kun" she said.

"K-Konichiwa" he replied not wanting to sound rude, "Ano Kyoko-chan, what are you doing here?"

The orange-haired girl took a deep breath, "Tsuna-kun, you've always protected me. At the zoo, around Namimori and in the future, and I've never truly thanked you. So, I'm going to look after you until you get better."

Tsuna lay their shocked. Kyoko, the girl he had had a crush on for years wanted to take care of him.

"Kyoko-chan" he said smiling, "Arigatou." Kyoko smiled back glad he was grateful for her help. Suddenly a low growl sound from Tsuna's gut. He blushed realizing just how hungry he was.

Kyoko let out a small giggle, "Are you hungry Tsuna-kun?" she asked.

"Hai" he said bashfully. Kyoko just smiled.

"Your mother told me she made something for you in the kitchen. I'll bring it up for you" she said hurrying down stairs.

Tsuna felt like he was on top of the world. It was going to be just him and Kyoko. She was going to visit him every day to look after him. Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine this. He then heard Kyoko's foot steps and turned to see her enter with a tray in her hands.

On the tray was a bowl of miso soup, a plate with chikuwa, dengaku, and a cup of tea.

"I brought some sushi if you'd like" she said, "Yamamoto was going to bring them himself but I told him I was coming to your house so he gave them to me."

"Suge Kyoko-chan. I can't believe you did all this for me."

"I said I would take care of you didn't I?" Kyoko said with a smile. Tsuna couldn't help smiling back. Kyoko put the tray down on the chabudai, and helped him into a sitting position. She placed the tray on Tsuna's lap and opened the box of sushi Yamamoto and his father prepared.

"Ano Tsuna-kun, who are all those men dressed in black suits?" asked Kyoko. Not understanding what she was taking about, Tsuna looked out the window.

"Nani!" he shouted for there was in fact at least two dozen men standing guard around his house. Unfortunately he recognized some of them.

"Tsuna!" came a shout. Tsuna and Kyoko turned around to see Dino walking into the bedroom. "How are you? Are you feeling better?"

"Dino-san!" said Tsuna in surprise, "Why do you have my house surrounded?"

The young mafia boss rubbed the back of his head, "Well I thought the least I could do was give you some extra protecting. I know Gokudera is going to get mad at me and I know your guardians are more than capable of protecting you, but you guys are still kids and you're still going to school." No matter how much stronger Tsuna became, Dino felt like he should act like a big brother and protect Tsuna. Though Tsuna really liked having Dino as a brother, he was worried his men would scare the neighbors.

"Arigatou Dino-san but I don't need that many" said Tsuna.

"Haha maybe I over did it. I guess I can just leave the ones on the roof and take the rest with me. Four snipers should be enough."

Tsuna's jaw dropped, "You put snipers on my roof?"

"Well of course" Dino said as if it was a no-brainer question.

"No! No mafia and no snipers!" said Tsuna "It's alright I don't need this much protection."

Dino laughed knowing this was part of Tsuna still beginning against succeeding the Kyuudaime. "Alright alright we'll go. Take care of him will you Sasagawa-san." Dino walked out of the room and closed the door. However when he reached the stairs...

"Ahh!" he shouted tumbling down.

"Dino-san!" shouted Tsuna remembering the young boss of the Cavellone Family had very bad motor skills without his underlings. Tsuna leaned as far as he could to the window. "Romario!"

One of Dino's men turned around and looked up at the window. He had short black hair with a short black beard with rectangular glasses. "Ah Buon pomerriggio Juudaime. How are you feeling?" he said with a smile.

"Dino-san fell down the stairs!" he said. Romario's smile tuned into a "not again" smirk and rushed to his boss' aid. Tsuna turned back to Kyoko and gave her an apologetic smile. But Kyoko shook her head and smiled brightly showing it didn't bother her in the slightest. This actually made Tsuna fall deeper in love with her.

"I envy you Tsuna-kun" she said.

The young Vongola boss looked at her surprised, "Why?"

She smiled, "This mafia thing. It's so amazing. There's always something crazy happening and you always look like your having fun. I've never seen you so happy." Those words dung in deep. She had noticed. She had noticed that Tsuna was extremely grateful for his new friends and even more so, that if it wasn't for this mafia thing, he would have never gotten closer to Kyoko. She would have remained as the unreachable star. Though he still found it hectic and that the life of a mobster was not for him.

"Your the one I envy Kyoko-chan" Tsuna said. It was Kyoko's turn to be surprised. "When I finally told you the truth, you took it so well. When I was told by Reborn, I didn't believe it at first. Sometimes I still don't want to believe it."

Kyoko slid her hand into his making him blink in surprise. "Then let's get through it together ne?" she said with a smile. That smile was just so contaigous to Tsuna and he couldn't help smiling back. Maybe together he could get through it better.

"_Kyoko would be a good candidit for the wife of a mafia boss"_ Reborn had said over a year ago. What actualy scared Tsuna was that he was right! Would he and Kyoko get married if he accepted the position as Vongola Decimo? The mental image of him and Kyoko standing at the altar made him blush. Kyoko thinking he was getting a fever placed her hand on his forehead which shook him back from his fantasy.

"Your food's going to get cold Tsuna-kun" she said taking out the sushi. Tsuna nodded said Itadakimas before he began eating his mother's cooking, which he missed terribly after being away from home for so long. He was distracted from his meal when he saw Kyoko laying out Yamamoto's sushi. There was amadai sushi, chidai sushi, aji sushi, anakyuu, salmon, ankou, tachiuo, ara, shrimp, ayu and many others. But the one he wanted most was his favorite, the fatty tsuna belly, toro. He eyed it hungrily as there was only five of them. He ate his meal as if it was his last which Kyoko couldn't help giggling at. Then something hit Tsuna.

"Ano Kyoko-chan, are you hungry?" he asked her. Kyoko blinked.

"I am actually" she said. Tsuna immidiatly offered some of his food which Kyoko thanked him for offering and helped herself to the sushi. They ate in silence enjoying the food. After finished his soup, he ate his chikuwa with some bread and dig into his dengaku with his chopsticks, washing it all down with his tea. He picked up a piece of toro and popped it in his mouth, loving the taste.

"Sugoi!" said Tsuna happily, "Have some Toro Kyoko-chan."

She smiled, "Arigatou Tsuna-kun" she said and ate a piece, also showing her enjoyment of the food. Little by little the food was devoured with the exception of one last piece of sushi; toro. Tsuna obviuosly made a move for it but his hand touched Kyoko's causing them to look up each other.

"Take it Kyoko-chan."

"No you take it Tsuna-kun."

"No it's ok."

"But your injured."

Knowing this just going to go back and forth, Tsuna got an idea. "How about we split it?" The orange-haired teen smiled and broke the piece of sushi in two and handed the other half to Tsuna. As they finished the food, they began to talk. For two hours they talked about they favorite songs, bands, movies, clothes, and other things they had never talked about before. Things seemed to feel different between them, as if there was a barrier that they han't noticed until now. Maybe it was just because it was just them alone. It felt the same when Tsuna had told Kyoko the truth back when they were 10 years in the future, sitting on the hill near the canal. It felt good.

Their tender moment was cut short when the door of Tsuna's room opened up. "Yare yare, looks like you two have been busy" said Tsuna's mother. She turned to Kyoko, "It's getting late Kyoko, are you staying for dinner?" Kyoko looked surprised and checked her watch. It was 6:30.

"Oh no I'm late" she said. She stood and bowed to the woman "Arigatou but I promised my parents I'd be home to help them out. We have guests tonight." She hurried to the door but stopped and turned around. "Goodbye Tsuna-kun! I'll come back tommorow."

"Aa, arigatou Kyoko-chan. I really owe you" said Tsuna smiling though a little sad she was leaving so soon.

She shook her head, "Iie Tsuna-kun. I'm just returning the favor." And with that she left. When they heard the door close, Tsuna mom spoke up.

"She very cute Tsuna. When did you and Kyoko become a couple?" Tsuna blushed like mad.

"W-W-We're not a couple ka-san!" he blurted out, "We're just good friends." His mother on the other hand began to hum gently as she gathered up his tray and the box of sushi and left her embaressed son to himself. When the door closed Tsuna fell back down on his bed, staring at the ceiling.

"What a day" he said to himself. For those two hours he was alone with the girl he loved. Those were the two happiest hours of his life. Even better was that Kyoko was coming back tommorrow. Just thinking about it made him smile. He was going to have Sasagawa Kyoko, the star of Hinamori High for company for the next few months. And he only had to break nearly every bone in his body to do it.

* * *

Well thats it gents the first chapter of my first Katekyo Hitman Reborn fanfic. I hope you enjoyed it and will keep enjoying it. Since I have an issue of writing a lot of japanese words and terms into my fics, I have decided to stop being lazy and start writing what those words mean (besides the obvious ones)

Buon Pomerriggio: Good Afternoon (in Italian)

Chikuwa: sausage-shaped minced meat.

Dengaku: dishes with grilled fish, vegetables and tofu, topped with miso sauce.

Chabudai: the type of table Tsuna has in his room.

Amadai: White fish aka Tilefish, Blanquillo and Guji.

Chidai: Blood Tailfish.

Aji: Horse Mackerel.

Anakyuu: nori (seaweed) rolled sushi with conger eel and cucumber.

Ankou: Monkfish aka Angler and Goose-fish.

Tachiuo: Cutlass-fish aka Hair-tail fish.

Ara: Sea Bass

Akatai: Red Snapper.

Ayu: Sweet-fish aka Smelt.

a/n: I'm not fully sure if you would use some of the fish I listed for sushi, for sushi. I mentioned them because I liked how these fish tasted when I bought them.


	2. Chapter 2: Steak For Two

Author Notes:

You everyone! I'm srry i've been gone for so long! Things have happened. I now have a part time job at a record store and i'm college so i'm really busy, not to mention i've started 3 webshows on youtube (check'em out channel is DragonoftheEastblu). Also, NEW COMPUTER! I'm also asking a favor of u, my readers. I want to kno wat is ur fav New Generation anime/manga. paste this link /t/KEUjOZBVtM to vote

So with out further adieu, enjoy chapter 2 (i am working on on the other chapters as well as some new stories relax!)

Chapter 2: Steak for Two

The next day, Tsuna woke up surprisingly early; though not on purpose. Lambo and Ipin had run into his room and began their normal rowdy play, waking the young mob boss. He groaned and rubbed his eyes one at a time.

"Lambo, Ipin, do you have any idea what time it is?" he asked. He turned to his night stand to see his clock read 5:55. "Eh? It's not even 6 o'clock yet and you woke me up?" But the toddlers didn't answer and continued to run around his room. Suddenly a hammer came down on Lambo's head. Tsuna looked up to see Reborn, still wearing his PJs had made Leon transform into a green hammer.

"You're too noisy so early in the morning" he said annoyed. Lambo rubbed his head.

"Gotta…stay…calm" he spun around "Reborn! Why did you hit the great Lambo-san!"

The toddler jumped from his hammock and walked pasted the Lightning Guardian, "Like I said, you we're too noisy." Of course Lambo was not going to take that. He reached into his afro and pulled out a pink grenade. But before he could pull the pin, Reborn lunged at the young hitman, giving him a swift kick making him drop his grenade, and fly out Tsuna's window. Reborn snatched the grenade and pulled the pin throwing it after Lambo hitting him in the head and exploding.

"Ne Reborn aren't you being a little rough on him?" asked Tsuna. But the hitman simply yawned and changed into his normal suit and hat and headed down stairs for a cup of coffee.

Tsuna sighed and let himself fall back onto his bed. Maybe if he closed his eyes and lay still he may get some more sleep without any interruptions. Just as he closed his eyes, the doorbell rang. He looked up wondering who it could be at this unholy hour.

"Ah Konnichiwa Reborn" said a voice. Tsuna sat up realizing who it was. It was Kyoko!

'Why is Kyoko-chan here?' he asked himself, though not disappointed that she was here.

"Oi Reborn! Is Elder PaoPao here?" shouted another person. Tsuna nearly fell out of bed knowing exactly who is was.

"No he went back to Thailand to train his students. I'll let you know when he's in Japan" said Reborn lying through his teeth. "Did you come to visit Tsuna? He's awake in his room." The siblings nodded and walked up the stairs to Tsuna's room with Reborn riding on Ryohei's shoulder.

"Konnichiwa Tsuna-kun" said Kyoko which Tsuna replied back to.

"Sawada! How are you feeling? Are you healing to the extreme!" shouted the young boxer.

"H-hai One-san but please don't yell you'll wake my mom."

"Yosha!" shouted Ryohei. As expected, all this shouted did in fact wake Nana.

"What's going on Tsu-kun?" she asked rubbing her eyes. She walked into his room was surprised to see Kyoko and her brother. "What are you doing here so early?"

"One-san always gets up early to train before school. He woke me up by accident and I decided to come see if Tsuna-kun was feeling better" she said. "Since it was on One-san's regular route we both stopped by."

Nana smiled. "Well that was sweet of you. Have you eaten or would you like some breakfast?"

Kyoko shook her head. "Iie we ate before leaving."

"Speaking of which" said Ryohei, "Sawada! Get better so we can spar again at the boxing club! Reborn-san. Give my regards to Elder PaoPao."

Reborn smirked and nodded "I will."

"Yosh…" said the boxer, clenching his fists, "It's time to train TO THE EXTREME!" His eyes burned with fire and he ran downstairs and out the door slamming it behind him. When things settled down, Tsuna's mother prepared tea and breakfast for everyone. Soon Fuuta and Bianchi made their appearance and eagerly waited for breakfast. Kyoko and Tsuna watched some TV with Ipin and Lambo (who recovered from the grenade) until there was a ring at the door. Tsuna couldn't make out who it was over the TV. But when he heard a shout of "Aniki!" he had a pretty good guess who it was.

The door opened revealing Yamamoto with Gokudera holding on to him and clutching his stomach.

"Wari Tsuna! We came here to check if you were ok but Gokudera's stomach acted up again" he said with his trade mark grin. He then blinked in surprise when he saw Kyoko was there too. "Ah would you mind giving me a hand?" Kyoko nodded and helped the swordsman lay Gokudera down with a pillow under his head.

"So you feeling better Tsuna?" he asked his boss.

"Mm. It doesn't hurt anymore" he replied.

"I-I'm glad to hear that Juudaime" said Gokudera weakly. Tsuna sighed and looked at his clock. "Mina it's getting late you should go to school."

"I guess" shrugged Yamamoto, "Can't you walk Gokudera?"

"I'm fine" grumbled the dynamite expert standing up but wobbled a little. "H-Have a good day Juudaime."

Tsuna nodded, "You too Gokudera-kun." The boys grabbed their things and headed downstairs (Gokudera paid extra attention not to run into his sister). Kyoko on the other hand stayed for a moment.

"I guess I'll see you after school" she said.

"M-m" agreed Tsuna blushing "See you." Kyoko smiled cutely and grabbed her book bag, heading for the stairs. She closed the door gently on her way out. She thanked Nana wished others good morning before leaving the Sawada house. Tsuna looked out his window, watching her leave.

"Well I guess I better leave as well" said Reborn "I have a meeting with the Kyuudaime so I'll be gone for a few days. Don't get into anymore trouble Dame-Tsuna." Before Tsuna could yell at him for using his nickname, Reborn left.

'She's going to come back today' he thought smiling. But when he looked at his alarm clock, he realized that she would be here for nearly 10 hours. He groaned. Why did everything good take so long? Seeing nothing better to do, he reached under his bed and grabbed his stash of manga and quietly began reading. With all this mafia business he had fallen behind.

After a few hours, Tsuna began to feel drowsy and drifted off to sleep.

xXx

"Is something wrong Tsuna-kun?" asked Kyoko, "You've been staring at me." Tsuna snapped from his trance. He had done it again. Back at school he would stare at her during class. He hopped she wouldn't notice and she hadn't for so long. What was he supposed to do now?

"I-It's nothing K-Kyoko-chan" he said quickly. Kyoko, not sure if he was telling the truth, placed her hand on his forehead. Tsuna blushed at their contact.

"You don't have a fever but your face is red Tsnua-kun. Are you sure you're alright?" she asked concerned. Tsuna assured her the best he could that he was fine. But he wasn't. He wanted to confess to her but he remembered when he confessed over a year ago she had taken it as a joke. What could he do to make her believe him?

"Ano Kyoko-chan…" he began. Kyoko looked up with an inquisitive look on her face.

"Yes?"

"Th-There's something I need to tell you."

"What is it Tsuna-kun?" she asked leaning closer to him. Tsuna swallowed, having trouble looking her in the eye.

"I-It's about s-something that happened a while ago" he managed, "I'm not sure you remember."

"I'll try" she said. Tsuna looked up meeting her eyes. She was so cute like that.

"Re-Remember when I-I confessed m-my feelings?"

She nodded. Tsuna took a deep breath.

"I-I meant it! I love you Kyoko-chan!" he said half shouting. Kyoko stared at him covering her mouth with her hands. He had said it. She knew his true feelings. He heard her begin to cry. Why was she crying? What had he done? He looked up in time to see Kyoko throw her arms around him neck and hug him tightly.

"Tsuna-kun!" she cried.

"K-Kyoko-chan, what's-"

"I love you!" she said. Tsuna froze. Was it true? Did she really love him too? His heart began to pound. They broke away, gazing deeply into each other's eyes.

"Kyoko-chan…"

"Tsuna-kun…"

They slowly leaned closer to each other and closed their eyes. Their lips gently touched as they kissed softly, nothing mattering more than what was happening right then and there.

xXx

"Mmmmm Kyoko-chan…" murmured the young Vongola boss as his kissed his pillow. He frowned slightly wondering why Kyoko's lips no longer had the same texture and taste as they did a second ago, not to mention her scent was different too. When he opened his eyes, the reality hit him. Hard.

"Ahhhhh it was just a dream?" he shouted clutching his head in despair. Why were all these things happening to him? Was God or Buddha torturing him on purpose for their personal amusement? Or was it all due to the fact Kyoko was visiting him every day and him thinking of her 24/7? Whichever it was it was killing him. What was it going to take to make him feel better?

"Tsu-kun!" came his mother's voice "Kyoko-chan is here!" And with that Tsuna felt immense joy. He heard a set a footsteps on the stairs which grew louder as they reached him room. When the door swung opened revealing Kyoko's cute smiling face, Tsuna blushed with a smile of his own.

"Konnichiwa Tsuna-kun" she said cheerily, "How are you feeling?"

"Konnichiwa Kyoko-chan" he said just a happily. He may have dreamed about him and Kyoko falling in love, it still gave him hope that it just might happen one day. "I feel great. A little bit bed sore but still great." She laughed, glad he was alright.

"You've mother is going out again so it's just us" she said. Tsuna couldn't help blushing at the fact. All alone again with Kyoko. Maybe he should take the opportunity to confess to her properly. Could it unfold like it did in his dream?

"Is something wrong Tsuna-kun?" asked Kyoko, "You're staring at me."

Tsuna nearly flew through the roof. It was happening! It was turning out like in his dream. Was this a sign that his dream was not a dream but a vision? Tsuna was starting to sweat as these thoughts ran through his mind. He somehow managed to make eye contact with Kyoko and took a deep breath.

"A-Ano Kyoko-chan" he began, not knowing if he really could pull this off, "There's something I need to tell you." Kyoko looked at him. Tsuna couldn't help but blush under her gaze. "It's what happened a year ago."

"What happened?" she asked.

"I-It's more what I said."

"What did you say?" she asked leaning closer to him. Tsuna swallowed starting to lose his confidence.

"I said s-something that you took for a joke." Kyoko's big curious eyes looked at him, waiting for him to remind her of this incident. Just as he was about to, the door of his room slam open. Lambo ran into the room with Ipin and Fuuta carrying what looked like bags of candy.

"Ehai hai hai!" laughed Lambo, "The Great Lambo-san has returned with lots of candy and lollipops!" Ipin and Fuuta were about to join in when they felt something completely new. Tsuna was actually releasing a large about of killing intent.

"Ipin think we interrupted something" said the Chinese hitman.

Fuuta nodded, "Tsuna-nii is ranked 77 467 542 out of 77 467 542 for 'Hitmen Killing Intent'. I have to recheck my ranking book."

Though Tsuna was mad at being interrupted, Kyoko was happy to see the kids, picking up Lambo and having a conversation with him. Tsuna notices how good she was with kids, especially Lambo. Most of the time, he and Gokudera would extremely annoyed (and very pissed off in Gokudera's case). But Kyoko always kept her cool and listened to him. Tsuna once again remembered what Reborn had said about Kyoko being a very good candidate to be the wife of a mafia boss. She would be a great mother too.

Tsuna did his best to shake out the image of Kyoko from ten years in the future holding a child that bore his likeness. What would he give for that to happen? Not seeing anything better to do now that he and Kyoko had been interrupted, the young mob boss join the conversation helping himself to some sweets.

xXx

After a good half hour of talking, Kyoko noticed the time and headed to the kitchen. Tsuna curious of where she was going asked her what she was up to. When she told him she was going to cook for him dinner, Tsuna couldn't help but smile. He loved her cooking and wondered what she would make.

Kyoko walked down the stairs and into the kitchen poking at a package of meat on the counter making sure it was completely defrosted. She unraveled the plastic wrapping and began to wash the meat in the sink.

'Tsuna-kun is really going to like this' she thought.

xXx

Tsuna was dozing when the door of his bedroom opened. His "hyper intuition" kicking in he opened his eyes.

"Kyoko-chan?"

Kyoko nearly dropped the plate of food in her hands not expecting Tsuna to wake up. "Ts-Tsuna-kun!" she said in surprise, "Did I wake you?" Tsuna shook his head and quickly said it was just a coincidence.

Suddenly, a smell wafted through the room. A smell that Tsuna knew so well and made his moth water. "I smell steak!"

Kyoko smiled, "Hai, I made steak for you Tsuna-kun!" she said placing the plate of steak on a tray. The young Vongola boss' eyes widened.

"You made this…for me?" he said in disbelief. He looked up at her and smiled warmly, "Arigatou Kyoko-chan!" Kyoko blushed slightly at his praise.

"It's nothing Tsuna-kun. Your mom had mentioned you like steak so I took it out of the freezer to defrost before I left for school."

"Arigatou Kyoko-chan!" he said. Kyoko smiled and began to cut up the steak for him.

"You should eat before it gets cold, Itadakimas!" she stabbed a piece of meat with a fork and held it in from on his mouth. Tsuna eagerly bit onto the fork, finally able eat his glorious steak. Kyoko couldn't help giggling at her friend. Tsuna stopped to look at his crush, he really loved her laugh. Then something struck him.

"Ne Kyoko-chan, what are you gonna eat?"

Kyoko blinked. She let out a little gasp. "I was so busy with your steak I didn't make anything for me." Tsuna felt bad for her. She had been totally focused on his dinner that he had none. He then did the only thing he felt was right.

"You have half of mine Kyoko-chan."

The red-head shook her head. "No Tsuna-kun, you need good food to heal." But Tsuna didn't listen. He took a knife and tried to cut the steak with one hand with little success. Kyoko was about to object but in the end sighed. She smiled and took the knife and fork. He really had a big heart, even with something so trivial.

They each took turns eating a piece if steak, and it was the most delicious steak they ever had.

* * *

Well thats it for this chapter. Hope u enjoyed it and more is on the way. Don't forget to review, vote on the poll on fanfiction as well as the one i posted at the top.

Cheers!


	3. Update

Update

Hey everyone it's the DragonoftheEastblue here! Yes I haven't died as many have wondered, with me receiving no less that ten emails a day asking me about my work. Rest assured that I plan to complete every story I post online, whether it be fanfiction or my own.

Now to explain what's gonna happen during the rest of this year and next year. I am currently working on chapter 14 of "The Soul of the Fox and the Eagle" and chapter 6 of "A Princess Amongst Thieves". Chapter 2 of "Under Dogs" and "Fox May Cry: Spawn of Yoko" has been choreographed but not written and chapter 3 of "Returning the Favor" and chapter 2 of "Pirates vs Ninjas: Battles of Love and Will" are being written.

I have written the first chapter of 2 of the 3 stories I plan on writing.

"Ultimate Hunter Alliance": The best monster hunters team up to do what they do best. Dante and Nero from Devil May Cry, Alucard from Hellsing, Inuyasha from Inuyasha, Clare from Claymore, Kurosaki Ichigo from Bleach and Yusuke Yurameshi from YU YU Hakusho. They've all been promised to gain something by their mysterious employer. Something they've lost or won't admit they're looking for.

"In My End Is My Beginning": After the defeat of Fire Lord Ozai, Aang surprises his friends when he decides to leave to train. After 3 long years he finally returns with new strengths and wisdom. But things are not always what they seem. Secrets from the past, present and future shift the entire balance of the Nations, reminding Aang that peace, is only the time to prepare for war.

"Naruto's Perfect World": Based on the online Chinese MMORPG "Perfect World International", the Naruto characters are pitted against each other. Set in a valley outside the war for Heaven's Tear and the war on the Wraths, Naruto, leader of a pack of Untamed battles against Hiashi leader of the Winged Elves and Tsunade leader of the humans. However things begin to change at an alarming pace which changes the entire way of life of the world's most powerful races. A story of love, betrayal and unity. The perfect world is at an end, but the battle to reclaim it has only just begun.

I will not update these for a while. Not till I complete one or more stories first.

Hope that puts your minds to rest. Thank you for staying loyal and patient all this time.

Cheers

DragonoftheEastblue


	4. Chapter 3: I'll Be Your New Tutor

Author's Note:

Hey guys! Sorry! I was gonna upload this a week ago along with chapter 6 of PAT and chapter 1 of PvsN (uploading right after this) but I had little time to edit. Anyways enjoy!

Chapter 3: I'll Be Your New Tutor

Tsuna yawned as he flipped through the channels, trying to find an anime to watch.

"Ah Pokemon! Pokemon!" shouted Lambo, jumping up and down. "I want to watch Pokemon!"

"I-pin wants too!" cheered the young Chinese hitman. Tsuna sighed and let the T.V remote fall to his lap and leaned back. Speaking of Pokemon, he had a video game reserved for the past three months waiting for him. He gave himself a mental-note to ask his mother if she could pick it up for him.

He lazily looked at his alarm clock and saw that it was nearly 3 in the afternoon. He smiled realizing that he would soon see Kyoko. What would today be like?

xXx

Back at Namimori Middle School, classes were winding down and the students were eager to go home. Kyoko, Gokudera, Yamamoto and Hana were sorting their books to leave when their sensei stopped the class.

"Sorry to bother you, but would it be possible for anyone of you to bring Sawada Tsunayoshi-kun his homework? It's been piling up and needs to be brought to him."

"Yosh!" shouted Gokudera jumping out of his seat, "As the Juudaime's right hand man, it's my duty to serve him in any way!"

"Iie Hayeto-kun" said their Sensei, "You have a detention to serve." The young hitman flinched and fell back into his seat remembering what happened during his gym class. He had overheard his fellow classmates talking bad of Tsuna and launched an attack with several sticks of dynamite causes some damage to school property. "Anyone else?"

"Wari Sensei" said Yamamoto scratching the back of his head. "I would but I have baseball practice and I have to help my old man at our shop."

"That's alright Takeshi-kun" said the teacher. "Is anyone free?"

"Ano…" came a small voice, "I can deliver it to him."

The class looked behind them to see it was Sasagawa Kyoko who offered.

"Arigatou Sasagawa-san. I hope this isn't interfering with anything."

"No it's alright. I'm going to his home anyways." This caused the class to buzz with murmurs.

"She's already going to Sawada's house?"

"Why is she going?"

"You don't think they're dating or anything?"

"No way! Kyoko-chan is way out of Dame-Tsuna's league!"

As soon as these conversations began, they were silenced by Gokudera who stood up again and gave them all death glares.

"Domo arigato Sasagawa-san" thanked the teacher gratefully. "The rest of you are dismissed. You on the other hand Hayeto-kun; stay seated." Gokudera, now feeling totally defeated, fell back into his seat and rested his arms on the back of his chair.

"Haha!" laughed Yamamoto, "Bad luck ne?"

"Urusai Akyuubaka" groaned the young Mafioso. Yamamoto simply smiled and made his way to the school locker rooms to change into his baseball gear. With Kyoko on the other hand, Hana was a bit more concerned.

"Oi, did you think it was such a good idea to tell everyone you're going to Sawada's house?" she asked her friend seriously.

"Well it's the truth isn't it?" she replied with a warm smile on her face. Hana's eyebrow twitched realizing that her friend had no idea of the consequences that were to occur after uttering those words to the class. Rumors galore.

"Want me to wait for you?" Hana asked not bothering to press on the issue further.

"No it's alright. I'll see you tomorrow."

They said goodbye as their teacher began to fish out the several pages of homework that had been piling up since Tsuna's absence. And from the looks of it, it was considerable.

xXx

Tsuna was sitting in his bed in anticipation. His mother had taken Lambo, Fuuta and Ipin with her to the market due to a massive sale. Bianchi, now bored without her precious Reborn around, had become quite scarce and rarely made an appearance at the house. No doubt chasing after her love once again or was on the hunt for more ingredients for her cuisine from hell; the poison cooking. He once again had more time alone with Kyoko and didn't want to squander a second of it. He prayed both to Buddha and to God for his good luck and thanked them for all this time with his crush.

Suddenly the doorbell rang.

Tsuna nearly jumped out of bed.

'That must be Kyoko-chan' he thought with glee. But then something hit him. Everyone in the house except him was gone, which meant no one could open the door for Kyoko. Kyoko rang the bell again and Tsuna was beginning to panic. Suddenly he got an idea.

"Is that you Kyoko-chan!" he called out his luckily open window.

"Hai Tsuna-kun. Konnichiwa!" she called back.

"Konnichiwa! Listen, there's no one in the house except me so I'll help you get inside!"

"Iie Tsuna-kun!" shouted Kyoko with concern, "You're still hurt. You shouldn't move!"

"Don't worry!" Tsuna reached over to his nightstand and grabbed his set of keys. "Be careful Kyoko-chan!" he called to her and stuck the keys out the window and let them drop. After a second he heard them fall to the ground with a clatter and heard them being picked up. After picking up the keys Kyoko began to try every one till the right one slide easily into the lock and opened the door of the Sawada house.

Tsuna heard her footsteps as she climbed up the stairs and opened his bedroom door.

"That was very clever of you Tsuna-kun" said Kyoko not hiding her admiration.

"I-Iie Kyoko-chan, it was nothing" he said blushing. "How was school?"

"Great" she said with a smile, "Sensei asked me to bring these to you."

"Sensei did? Bring me what?"

"Your homework."

Kyoko placed a package of paper that was easily there inches thick. Tsuna yelled and clutched his head in terror.

"This is all the homework I have to do? When is it all due?"

"Sensei said by the end of the week" replied Kyoko.

"Yada! There's no way I can finish it all in time! Ohahhh!" Why was this happening? How did his day go from amazing to the worst in his life? Kyoko on the other hand remained calm and took the young mafia boss' hand causing Tsuna to stop panicking.

"It's going to be alright Tsuna-kun" she said reassuringly. "I can help if you'd like?"

Tsuna blinked. "You mean…tutor me?"

"Hai!" Kyoko said smiling, eyes closed. Tsuna's eyes widened and a smile spread across his face in amazement. This was perfect! With Kyoko tutoring him he would be able to complete his acuminating homework with ease! Compared to his previous tutors, Kyoko would be the only one that could actually help him. His tutors were on either ends of the spectrum. Reborn saw his as useless and Gokudera saw him as perfect. Reborn used dangerous methods to pound the material into his head while Gokudera used overly complicated and quick methods. Kyoko undoubtedly would be kind and understanding.

"Arigato Kyoko-chan! This means so much to me!" cried Tsuna, tears forming at the corners of his eyes. Kyoko smiled back and together they began to tackle the stack of homework. Though Tsuna was weak in all subjects (safe P.E. as Reborn's training on Death Mountain and the fights with Varia and Byuakuran had aided him in building muscle and endurance) he was especially weak in Math and English. Tsuna was amazed to learn that Kyoko had a gift for languages and English had come rather easily.

"_Hello my name is Jack. How are you today?_" she said.

"_Herro mai namu isu Jaku. Hao ar yu tsudae?_" repeated Tsuna.

"Then you would say…"

Tsuna took a breath, "Ano…_Fine. And you_ des?"

"Very good Tsuna-kun" said Kyoko giving him a small applause. "Though the 'des' at the end isn't necessary."

"A-Arigato. I'm still not used to speaking English" said the young Mafioso rubbing the back of his head while he blushed.

"Let's practice translating" said Kyoko, "I'll say something in Japanese and you say it in English. Ready?"

"H-Hai-I mean, _Yes._"

Kyoko looked straight at him. "Konnichiwa. Watashi no namae wa Kyoko des."

"_Hello. My name is Kyoko_" Tsuna translated slowly.

"Watashi wa juugo sai des."

"_I am 15 years old._"

"Itarya kara kimashta."

"_I am from Italy._" 'Why of all places did she choose Italy?' thought Tsuna knowing that if Reborn had heard he would have made yet another connection to Vongola. Somewhere in Italy Reborn let out a sneeze.

"Tutto a posto bambino? (Are you alright little boy?)" asked a young waitress.

"Si" responded Reborn before wiping his nose on a napkin and taking his biscotti. 'I have a feeling a student of mine is talking about me.' His right eye twinkled for a moment. "Looks like I'll have to return to Japona with some new 'tutoring plans' for Tsuna. Right Leon?"

His little green chameleon stuck out his tongue in agreement as the baby hitman broke a piece if his biscotti and feed it to his partner. He took a bite of his own and leaned back into his chair, a sneaky smile on his face.

"Ryori ga suki des" continued Kyoko.

"_I like cooking_" replied Tsuna.

Kyoko paused before giving the next line. This time she looked away. "Watashi wa utsukushii to omoimasu ka?" (Do you think I'm beautiful?)

Tsuna froze. Why was she asking him this? Was it part of the homework or was it a legitimate question? How would he answer? Yes of course! But how would he say it? As all these thoughts began to rush through his head, his mouth began to move on its own and he heard himself speak.

"_Yes you are very beautiful_."

Kyoko smiled. "Very good Tsuna-kun! You translated the next line without me having to say it!"

"H-H-Hai arigatou K-Kyoko-chan" he said slightly rattled. She didn't seem to act any differently. Maybe it was just part of the homework. But part of him needed to ask. "A-Ano Kyoko-chan."

"Hai Tsuna-kun?" replied the redhead still smiling.

Tsuna took a deep breath, "T-That last line. Was i-it part of the homework?" Kyoko's smile faded. But only for a moment.

"Of course Tsuna-kun."

Tsuna nodded and returned her smile but tried his best not to show his disappointment. Little did he know that Kyoko wasn't telling the truth. She was blushing and trying to make it fade before speaking to Tsuna again. Why did she ask him such a question? And why did she ask him in such a masked way? Kyoko wasn't entirely sure herself but was glad he answered so positively, even if it was because of the homework assignment.

"Oh no Kyoko-chan!" said Tsuna with worry. Kyoko looked up at him, face alert.

"What's wrong Tsuna-kun?" she asked.

"Look at the time" he replied. Kyoko looked at the boy's alarm clock to see it was a quarter past six. "We've been working on my homework all this time that we didn't notice how late it was."

Kyoko smiled realizing that it wasn't something serious. "Don't worry it's alright. My parents are currently out of town so I don't have to rush. Also since Oni-san is on his diet he won't eat much."

Tsuna smiled, "Yokatta! Matte, Oni-san's on a diet?"

"Yes," said the girl, "he's practicing his weight management for when he takes his pro-boxing license test is 5 months. Boxing is ranked by weight classes. Until you decide to change weight class you must remain in that weight bracket. Even if you're over the weight limit by 1/10 of a pound you can't fight. Boxers have a tendency to build muscle before a fight and end up out of the weight class at the weigh-ins."

Tsuna blinked. "Sugei" he said. Though he was impressed by his crush's knowledge of the sport, he was more amazed the complexity of boxing. He had always thought that boxing was simply fighting but now had a new found respect for it.

But there was something far more important at hand. It was still in the time frame from when Kyoko had asked him if she was beautiful. Now was the time for him to tell her he truly found her beautiful without the help of his English homework. He only had only chance and he could not mess it up!

"Ano…Kyoko-chan" he began feeling his anxiety already building up. It rose even higher when the girl looked up and met his eyes. "I-I want to say that i-I think that y-you are ver-"

"Lambo-san returns!"

Both Tuna and Kyoko jumped in surprise as the little cow suited hitman appeared in the doorway with Ipin and Fuuta in tow.

"Kombanwa Tsuna-nii, Kyoko-nee" Fuuta said receptively.

"Kombanwa everyone! Did you all go out today?" asked Kyoko.

"Hai. We went to the market and to the mall" replied the ranker.

"Lambo-san got lots of candy!" cried the Bovino.

"Ipin got candy too!" cheered the Chinese hitman.

"Are are what's all the commotion?" said Nana walking into the bedroom. "Oh hello Kyoko."

"Hello Sawada-san. Was you trip to the market fruitful?"

"Yes it was. I scored quite a few sales and managed to half my regular spending budget" she said holding up her fist in triumph. "Speaking of which, would you like to join us for dinner?"

"Oh no Sawada-san! I don't want to bother you!"

"Don't be silly there's plenty of food! You're always welcome at our home" Nana said waving her hand dismissively. "Oh and by the way, you don't have to be so formal. You can call me ka-san.

Kyoko blushed a little, feeling a little embarrassed by Nana's request. However it was Tsuna who was truly embarrassed. Sure Lambo, Gokudera, Reborn, Dino and Fuuta called his mother "mama" from time to time, but having Kyoko call her that, it meant that his mother had accepted her as her daughter-in-law! His face was burning up and couldn't believe what was happening.

"I'll help you prepare dinner then" said Kyoko happily.

"Lambo-san will help too!"

"Ipin too!"

"So will I Mama."

The kids followed Nana down the stairs with excitement. But Kyoko stopped at the doorway and turned around.

"Ano Tsuna-kun, was there something you were going to tell me?"

Tsuna snapped back to reality realizing that she had remembered. "A-Ah it's nothing! I-I just wanted to say that you're amazing. Helping me with all this. It's really amazing."

Kyoko smiled and looked away and a blush began to creep across her cheeks. "Actually…you're the amazing one" she said before turning back to the stairs and went to the kitchen. Tsuna watched her leave with a look of surprise. _She _found him amazing? There was nothing amazing about him! But at the same time he realized that Kyoko had praised him. And that meant more to him than anything he had known before.

xXx

However, at Midori Middle School, a teenage girl was not happy with her life as her teacher wrote another set of equations across the chalkboard.

'Why is it when my future husband is hurt and needs me the most I have to be stuck in cram school! Haru is not happy!' she cried.

* * *

To be continued in Chapter 4: Surprise Surprise


	5. Chapter 4: Surprise Surprise

Author's Note

I have a confession to make. The more I write this story, the more I fall in love with it. Ya you heard me I love this fic! As I plan it out along with my other projects in my small black notebooks, I love how things are coming together. I'm actually glad now that my decision to keep the chapters short but concentrated was a good choice. I normally write 3000 to 7000 words per chapter with my other fics but for RTF, it's around 2000 to 3500. I guess since this is a little love story and not a major battle fic like my other projects, short and sweet are the way to go.

Anyways, enjoy it you guys. Things are starting to get interesting.

**Also I would like to issue a warning. The names of future Mafioso members and events may be true as I wanted to make a more interesting plot and to serve the plot in possible future projects. If any Mafia members reading this fic and somehow it mentions events past, present or yet to be executed, it is all completely coincidental and should not be used as a reason to order a hit on me. **

Chapter 4: Surprise Surprise

A week had passed since Kyoko had begun her private tutoring lessons with Tsuna. Things had gone rather well since then and Tsuna was actually feeling more confident about his academic performance. Of course he was also glad to have her company, as she made his day every time she smiled.

Today, like any other day she was at his side, along with his mother and Haru. They had just left the private hospital with him in a wheelchair as today they had removed the cast on his left arm. The girls, as well as Dino's medical team were surprised at how fast his wounds were healing. They were now expecting him to make a full recovery in only a month or two. This was great news to the teens as well as Nana. Haru called Tsuna a superhero for being able to heal so fast.

Though he actually did like the compliment and half wished he was a superhero, he was secretly disappointed as that meant he only had a month or two left with Kyoko being at his side. All good things must really do come to an end it seemed. Tsuna decided to bury his disappointment and enjoy what time he had with her. After all, a month or two could be a very long time and a lot could happen. They may even get together. He sighed. If only.

Oblivious to his depression, his mother suggested they go out for lunch to celebrate her son's recovery. The girls agreed in delight and began searching for a suitable restaurant. When they did find one, Tsuna recoiled. Out of all possible establishments, they chose an Italian restaurant. He began to curse Buddha and God as he knew only they could be the cause of his torment. While he groaned over his misfortune, his companions ordered for him; spaghetti. It seemed a good a time as any to try his now freed arm. He managed to pick up the fork with no problems but picking up some pasta and bringing it to his mouth was proving to be difficult. He wasn't feeling any pain but his arm had very little strength. Kyoko noticed this and was about to help him when Haru beat her to it.

"I'll help you Tsuna-san. Say 'ahh'" she said filling his forth with pasta and held it to his mouth. Tsuna blushed with embarrassment as they were in a public place. To make things worse, Haru's actions caused several other people in the restaurant to giggle, with a few teasing them about being a cute couple. The young mob boss ate his spaghetti in shame, wishing he could just go home. But due to his embarrassment, he didn't see Kyoko give her friend a sour look as she had wanted to help Tsuna. Surprisingly enough, it was Nana who noticed which made her smile secretively as she ate her meal. She wondered which of these two would end up as her daughter-in-law.

xXx

They arrived at the Sawada residence earlier than planned, thanks to Romario. They thanked him and headed for the front door. But from the corner of his eye, Tsuna noticed a red sports car. That one belonged to Dino! Nana opened the door as Kyoko wheeled in the Vongola heir through the entrance hall and into the kitchen with Haru right behind them. But to their surprise, it was filled with people; people they knew.

"Ohaiyo Juudaime!"

"Yo Tsuna!"

"Your cast is off Sawada! You are healing to the extreme after all!"

"Ohaiyo gozaimas Boss."

"Good to the see the cast off little bro."

Tsuna smiled at his family, grateful for their concern and warm welcome. However when he looked to his left he saw three others he had not been expecting.

"How's it going son?" grinned Emitsu with Basil at his side.

"T-Tou-san! Basil-kun!" he cried in surprise. He then looked to the kitchen table. "Reborn!"

"Ciaossu" he said.

"What are you three doing here?" Tsuna demanded.

"I finished my business in Italia and decided to return here. Since Emitsu and Basil were finished as well we decided to come back at the same time" said Reborn with a smile.

"Ah. I'd heard from Nana that you got hurt so I came as soon as I could to see if you were alright" said Emitsu. He then looked at Kyoko standing behind his son and grinned. "But it looks like your girlfriend was here to take care of you."

Both Tsuna and Kyoko blushed in embarrassment. Tsuna was embarrassed because Kyoko was being called his girlfriend while she was next to him. He'd be lying if he said he didn't want it to be true but having his father say it out loud was too much. If he'd seen Kyoko blush he would have asked some questions. She was blushing for the same exact reasons and it was noticed by Emitsu and Reborn who grinned knowing the future would hold some laughs.

Fortunately for the kids their torment ended as Nana rushed to husband and embraced him, overjoyed to see him home. As much as Emitsu was happy to see his wife, he had pressing maters to attend to.

"Ne Nana-chan" he asked, "Could you give me some time to talk with these kids privately?" Nana looked at him curiously wondering what reason did he have asking for such things. She smiled never the less and told him she had laundry to take care of and left the room. He then turned to Kyoko and Haru and asked them if they could help her out. The response he received was one he was not expecting.

"Iie! This is Mafia related isn't it?" said Haru folding her arms.

"If it is then we're not leaving!" added Kyoko also standing her ground. Both Emitsu and Dino were shocked.

"They know?" he asked his son. Tsuna nodded.

"Hai Tou-san, I told them. They needed to know."

"And they took to it so well" said the older Sawada, shaking his head in amazement. "What is up with this generation?"

"Anyways, we need to begin" said Dino nodding to Basil. He nodding back and lifted up a medium size briefcase and placed in on the kitchen table. He was about to open it when a voice that could cut steel spoke up.

"Sawada Tsunayoshi" it said.

Everyone turned to the kitchen entrance to see Hibari leaning against the frame with his bird resting on his shoulder.

"H-Hibari-san!" shouted Tsuna in both surprise and terror. What did his half traitorous Cloud Guardian want baldy enough to break into his home?

"Oh so your alright then" he said calmly, "I was worried."

Everyone's mouth dropped. Never in their lives did they expect him to say such words. Was the world coming to an end? The stoic teen then spoke again.

"I thought you'd died. That would give the school a bad reputation."

This made Tsuna and Gokudera flinch while Yamamoto began to laugh. They should have seen this coming. Before the Guardian of Storm could recover from the shock and lash out at his colleague, Hibari turned his back and headed for the door.

"Matte Hibari" said Reborn grabbing the young man's attention. "It would be better if you stayed as this concerns you as well."

Hibari looked at the arcobaleno carefully, wondering if he should stay or go. He then gave Reborn a small smirk and returned to the kitchen, heading for the back and resting against the wall.

"Ne Tsuna" he said getting the boy's attention "Your cast is off."

Tsuna glanced at his arm for a second before nodding. "Mm. Dino-san's doctors said I'm healing faster that expect and I should be fully healed in a month or so."

Reborn hummed with curiosity. "I think the reason why your healing so fast is because you've developed your own healing factor from all the Hyper Mode bullets" he said. Before Tsuna could ask if that was even possible, the toddler decided to begin the meeting. Reborn told Basil to begin, to which the boy nodded and opened the briefcase revealing a screen and keyboard as well as other buttons. Basil switched it on and began typing to establish a link. When he finished he stepped back as the screen flashed to life revealing none other than the Kyuudaime himself.

"Kyuudaime-sama!" they cried in surprise.

"Buongiorno Tsuna" he said smiling warmly, "Are you alright? Everyone at the Vongola Head Quarters has heard of your accident."

"H-Hai!" Tsuna replied rubbing the back of his head, "I'm alright. Thank you very much for your concern!"

The Kyuudaime smiled. "I'm glad. Now then Tsuna, I would like to ask you something before I address you and your Family. Have you decided to accept the position of Juudaime?"

The other members of Vongola looked at their Boss knowing his response. Tsuna knew it as well as was about the reply to the old man but another response escaped his lips.

"I'd like some more time to think about it" he said. This surprised everyone including the Kyuudaime. They were all expecting him to flat out refuse, reinforcing his stance against being part of the Mafia. Of course the older Vongola members knew that no matter what he did in his life, he would always be connected to the Vongola Famiglia. Was this new response a sign that he was starting to change his mind? They could only hope.

The Kyuudaime agreed, saying it wasn't a decision to rush anyways. He then began to talk about the reason he arranged this meeting. "There has been some recent activity in Italia, New York and Montréal. It is possible that there is a power struggle going on and it could transcend throughout the world."

"Is it possible they would send someone to assassinate the 10th?" asked Gokudera.

"No it seems unlikely" said Emitsu, "It's only a struggle between some smaller families outside the alliance. So far."

"That's not the problem" added Dino.

"Precisely" said the old Vongola boss. "There has been some strange activity going on in the South of Italia. Specifically in Sicilia. There hasn't been any confirmed information of what is going on but it has stirred enough dust for Vongola to monitor. We're not sure if it's truly a threat of some kind or something unrelated. I urge you however to be vigilant. We'll contact you if we learn anything valuable. We wish you luck. Good day Sawada Tsunayoshi and to your Famiglia."

The screen went black, leave the kitchen with silence and a rather tense atmosphere. Then in a split second it was broken.

"Fuck! This is perfect" growled Gokudera, "Let them try to take the Juudaime's life."

Yamamoto nodded and tightened the grip on his bat. Ryohei clenched his first and began to shadow box, also eager and ready to defend his boss. The girls were worried as the thought of Tsuna being assassinated scared them. Dino however was there to calm them.

"Easy everyone" he said reassuringly "If anything does happen, the Cavallone Famiglia will be here to help." This did seem to reassure the young Vonogla members. However, there was still one person in the group who was not satisfied.

"Sawada Tsunayoshi" said Hibari, "When will you be returning to school? You are lowering the attendance average."

"Don't worry" said Reborn smirking. "With his cast removed he will be returning this Monday. We even got him this wheelchair."

Tsuna groaned. He could possibly be killed by the Mafia and he had to go to school. What had he done to deserve this?

* * *

I hope you liked that. Sorry for it being a little shorter than normal but I have to set things up for the next chapter don't I? See you all next time! Things get GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD!

Next Chapter: More Than Just Friends


	6. Chapter 5: More Than Just Friends

Author's Note:

Well guys, remember when I said that I had fallen in love with this fic? Well this was the chapter that did it for me. I was writing this chapter in my note book while I was editing chapter 4. As I promised this is when things get GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD! So fasten your safety belts and clench your buttocks, it's gonna be a bumpy ride.

Returning the Favor

Chapter 5:

More Than Just Friends

Tsuna buttoned up his school uniform as he was returning to school after his long leave of absence. He turned his wheelchair to the door where Gokudera and Yamamoto were waiting. They had arrived early to help carry his chair and himself down the stairs as he couldn't make it down on his own. They grabbed the sides of the wheel chair and carried their boss down to the front door. Tsuna thanked his underlings and exited his home with them where they found Kyoko and Hana waiting at the front gate. They exchanged friendly hellos and good mornings before they headed to school side by side. As Kyoko and Hana began to talk amongst themselves, Gokudera took the opportunity to speak to Tsuna about an important issue.

"Gomen Juudaime, can I ask you something" Tsuna nodded allowing his guardian to continue. "What do you think about what the Kyuudaime said?"

Tsuna took a deep breath. "I'm worried about that. We just came back from the future and already there's another mafia conflict. Why does this always happen?" he said shutting his eyes tightly.

"Don't worry Juudaime!" said Gokudera confidently, "Whatever happens I'll be there to protect you!"

"Ah! Take it is easy Tsuna" reassured Yamamoto, smiling happily. Gokudera gave him a look not liking his associate stealing his thunder. Before the situation could escalate, a loud but familiar voice sounded from behind. The group turned their heads to see Ryohei running towards them wearing his roadwork sweats and jogging jacket.

"Yo everyone! How are you?" he said energetically.

"Yo Senpai" replied Yamamoto.

"Shibafu Atama" said Gokudera, more like a greeting than an insult.

"Oni-san!" said Tsuna, not expecting to see him this early in the morning.

"Oni-san, what are you doing here?" asked Kyoko. "I thought you left for your roadwork at 5."

Tsuna sweat dropped at his crush's words. '5 in the morning? He takes boxing way too seriously' thought the young Vongola. Though he had to admit, Ryohei was going to become a great boxer if he continued what he was doing. Maybe taking it seriously was the right way to go.

"Ah! This is my 16th lap around the neighborhood!" said the boxer with pride. Tsuna sweat dropped again. Then again, there was such a thing as overdoing it. "What are you all doing here?"

"Heading to school obliviously Shibafu" said Gokudera, "Can't even figure that out baka."

"Nandato Takoheado?" cried Ryohei. The others did their best to calm the two guardians and keep them from fighting each other as Tsuna looked at his watch.

"Ah! Look at the time. If we don't hurry we'll be late."

"Don't worry Sawada!" shouted Ryohei grasping the handles of his boss' wheelchair, "I'll get you there in no time, Kyokugen!" Before anyone could stop him, he ran at full speed pushing Tsuna in front of him heading right for Namimori Middle School. The others cried out for him to stop but they were already out of earshot, giving them no other option but to run after them with Gokudera leading the pack.

xXx

When their school came into view, Ryohei hit the brakes brining himself and the wheelchair to a halt. Tsuna on the other hand did not. The sudden stop sent him flying into the courtyard, bouncing a few times before coming to a complete stop. It took the Sun Guardian a moment to realize that his boss was no longer in his chair and ran up to him to see if he was alright. Though out of breath, the others arrived soon after and saw Tsuna laying face first in the dirt. It didn't take a genius to figure out what had happened.

"Teme Shibafu!" shouted Gokudera in fury, "What have you done to the Juudaime?"

"Oni-san!" said Kyoko harshly walking up to her brother, "Tsuna-kun is already in bad condition. You need to be more careful." She continued to scold him as Gokudera and Yamamoto helped their fallen friend back into his chair, then giving him a dust off. Hana watched the whole situation with her arms folded and a smirk on her face. They truly were an odd bunch.

"We're going to be late" she said checking her watch.

Kyoko nodded and placed her hands on Tsuna's wheelchair. "I'll go with Tsuna-kun. Everyone else can go ahead."

"You sure Kyoko?" asked her brother.

"Hai. We'll be alright."

The others nodded and headed to their classrooms. Tsuna on the other hand was a bit worried.

"Ano Kyoko-chan, you don't have to escort me to class. You'll probably be late."

Kyoko simply smiled, "Don't worry Tsuna-kun. I want to help you" she said pushing him to the doors of the school elevator. "And besides, the cast on your arm was only just removed and it doesn't have much strength. You wouldn't be able to turn the wheels of your chair."

The young Mafioso was surprised at her perception but nodded as the doors opened. Kyoko wheeled him into the elevator and hit the second floor button. When the doors opened, Tsuna thanked her for her help but meant more deeply than he revealed. She smiled again at his words and together they headed to their first period class. When they reached the door of the classroom, Kyoko opened the door and wheeled Tsuna inside. Both their sensei and their classmates minus their friends were surprised to him back in school. He was welcomed by his sensei, and then with the help of Kyoko he headed to his desk and began to return to the old schedule.

xXx

When the bell rang for lunch, Tsuna grabbed his bento and was about to enjoy his meal when his fellow classmates began to mob him with questions.

"Oi Dame-Tsuna! What happened to you?"

"You've got casts on both your legs and you're in a wheelchair."

"You haven't been in school for a long time."

"What happened?"

The surge of questions was overwhelming. Gokudera noticed this and immediately began to break up the mob. However, Tsuna relaxed and answered their questions.

"I was hit by a car" he said frankly. The others gasped in shock.

"Nani!"

"A car?"

"How did you survive?"

"How did it happen?"

"I just wasn't paying enough attention when I was crossing the street" he answered. This surprised his friends. Why would he lie like that? It then became obvious that it was his nature kicking in again. He just wasn't the kind of person that enjoyed taking the limelight or trying to make himself look like a hero. He saved a friend from being hit by a car because his friend's life was in jeopardy and for no other reason. Luckily with his reputation, his classmates bought it.

"So that's what happened."

"Should have guessed."

"You're such a klutz Sawada!"

"But it's good to see you're alright."

Tsuna blushed a little at their words, secretly happy that people other than his friends and family were worried for his wellbeing. Gokudera on the other hand didn't see it that way and found these classmates an annoyance to his boss and himself and began to break up the group, allowing Tsuna and others to pass. When they walked out of the classroom, they considered where they were going to eat. Normally they would eat their lunches on the roof, but with Tsuna's current condition it would be difficult. Gokudera and Yamamoto offered to carry him to the roof but Tsuna declined.

"It's ok guys. I'm going to eat on the grounds. You can go on your own" he said. Gokudera wasn't all that pleased but he followed his boss' wishes. Before Tsuna could head to the elevators, Kyoko stood in front of him.

"I can eat with you Tsuna-kun" she said warmly.

"N-No it's alright Kyoko-chan you don't have to" he said kindly, "I mean, don't you normally eat with your friends?"

The young girl smiled and handed him her bento before moving behind him and begin pushing his wheelchair to the elevator. "Exactly. We're friends aren't we?"

Tsuna blushed at her words realizing she was right. He had always thought of Kyoko as his crush and never as his friend even though they had been friends for the past year. He should have been more grateful for her friendship but he always wanted more. He wanted to tell her his true feelings and move out of the friend-zone but he was always held back either by his cowardice or poor timing. But the feelings were growing stronger. Strong enough that he heard himself say three words that were very dangerous to say.

"More than friends?"

The doors of the elevator closed in front of them adding to the silence they hadn't noticed before. That came out of nowhere. Since Tsuna had remained quiet since Kyoko last spoke, him saying such words made the whole situation incredibly tense and awkward. He just revealed that he wanted more than a friendship relationship with her. He might as well have said that he loved her! Tsuna began to sweat in panic realizing he had just over stepped a line that he didn't want to cross so soon if not ever. How would she take it? Would she hate him? Would their friendship be lost forever?

"Well…since I'm part of your mafia group, we're family ne?"

Tsuna's eyes widen in astonishment as Kyoko wheeled him out of the elevator towards the school grounds. He was stunned. He wasn't expecting Kyoko to react in such a way. She wasn't mad at all but seemed genuinely happy. She must have not understood the question or at least its true meaning. Though that did slightly hurt his feelings, he was happy that she did see that their relationship was something special and that she wasn't mad at him. Unfortunately due to his astonishment he had not seen that Kyoko was rather smitten by his question. Perhaps she did know what he meant. When they finally exited the school doors and moved onto the grounds, Kurokawa Hana watched the young couple from the classroom window with a smirk on her face.

"Well well well" she said to herself.

xXx

"Onegi Tsuna-kun" said Kyoko, "Can you wait here for a moment? I'll go buy us some drinks from the vending machines."

"Ah arigatou Kyoko-chan!" replied Tsuna with a smile. Kyoko returned the smile and scampered off to the vending machines turning at the corner of the school. When she was out of sight Tsuna relaxed and smiled a wide smile. He was very lucky. He had been scared that with him returning to school he would no longer be able to spend time with Kyoko. But his worries were laid to rest as Kyoko seemed just as keen to spend time with him and look after him. He wasn't able to describe his happiness in words but it was truly something he was extremely grateful for. For the first time in over a year he was at peace.

Unfortunately his moment of peace was interrupted by a small group of seniors. He didn't need his Vongola Hyper-Intuition to figure out they were looking for trouble.

"Hey Aniki! It's Dame-Tsuna!" one of them shouted.

"Ha! Sawada, it's been such a long time! Where have ya been?"

"Check it out Aniki! Both his legs are broken!"

The leader took a closer at Tsuna's casts before laughing hysterically. "How the Hel did you do that to yourself Dame-Tsuna? Pfft I don't care. What I do care about is the reason why you've been spending so much time with Sasagawa Kyoko?"

Tsuna said nothing. Anything he said would be pointless in his defense. However he did realize anything he said would cause Kyoko pain. He would never allow that to happen while he still drew breath.

"Che, don't be like that. We've heard the rumors. You and Sasagawa have been dating and are living together right?"

Tsuna blushed. Were there really rumors like that floating around the campus? Nevertheless, he suppressed his embarrassment. "Those rumors aren't true" he replied honestly but the seniors weren't interested in his excuses.

"Whatever Dame-Tsuna. It doesn't make a fuckin' difference whether you two are dating or not" said the leader leaning in so his face was directly in front of the young Mafioso. "Because we're gonna beat the crap out of you and take her for ourselves!"

It was at that very moment that something inside of Sawada Tsunayoshi, the next in line to inherit the seat of the Vongola Empire, changed forever. They could call him names, they could beat him to the ground, they could beat him till he bled, they could do whatever they wanted to him, but he would not tolerate anything happening to Kyoko. He slowly raised his head to look at the lead bully which cause said bully to back off with a look of horror in his eyes. Tsuna glared at him with the eyes and facial expression that he wore in battle in his Hyper-Mode.

"If any of you ever lay a single finger on her, I will crush you like the insects you are" he threatened.

The leader fell back on his rear in terror but managed to pick himself up and run away with his lackeys in tow.

"Why are we running Aniki? He just gave us a worthless threat!" demanded one of the lackeys.

"His eyes…" said the leader with sweat rolling down his forehead, "He has the same eyes my grandfather has! My gramps fought with the Imperial Army vs the Yankees! You only get eyes like that if you've seen some serious shit!"

With the seniors gone Tsuna could finally relax. He had not been than angry in weeks. As much as it bothered him to be in such rage he felt it was somewhat familiar. Maybe even a bit comforting. What could that mean? He won't be able to ponder on this for quite a while as Kyoko returned with their drinks.

"Gomenasai Tsuna-kun, for taking so long. Is lemon tea alright?" she asked handing him a tall slim can.

"Ah, Arigatou" he said taking the tea from her with a smile. He opened it and took a sip, choosing not to dwell on it.

Things were rather uneventful after lunch and after the final bell sounded, Tsuna and his friend went home. However, as they walked Hana watched Tsuna and Kyoko very carefully. She saw how close they had suddenly become and had questions she wanted answered; though she already guessed the outcomes. She decided that tomorrow she would speak with Kyoko personally. Kyoko giggled at Tsuna as he pointed out something funny. Things were getting interesting.

xXx

The following day, Kyoko was eating her lunch with Hana and their friends at their usual spot under a large tree that shaded them from the sun. Hana had made sure that she would be able to speak with Kyoko but found that the bond between her and Tsuna had grown much stronger than she had imagined, making it difficult to separate them. As reluctant as Kyoko was, Tsuna did not want himself to get in the way of her hanging out with her girl friends and decided to eat lunch with Yamamoto, Gokudera and Ryohei at the field track.

Their conversations started normally, discussing the latest idols, the biggest pop sensations, fashion etcetera. Soon however, their topics began to move closer and closer to boys and relationships. This was nothing new as they would talk about such things often; despite Hana's lack of interest. What was different was that they focused on a certain boy and a certain relationship which was a hot topic and a greatly spread rumor.

"Ne Kyoko, are you and Sawada dating?" asked one of the girls. Kyoko immediately blushed.

"W-Why do you think we are?"

"Because the whole school is flooding with rumors about you and Sawada."

"Ya. Some say you two are dating, some say you're married and living together. They aren't true are they?"

Kyoko quickly cleared up knowing she had to explain honestly. "No we aren't dating. We're just friends" she said as calmly as she could. Her friends gave a sigh of relief.

"I thought so. There's no way you'd date him."

"That's a relief. I think he's rather cute."

"Eww what are you saying Mari?"

"I think he's cute too."

"No way Hikari!"

The group was rather divided on Tsuna's good points as well as his dateability. Some of them thought he was dumb and clumsy while the rest thought his was cute and courageous, bringing up his achievements of the previous year. But his faults were just as memorable as his great feats.

"Remember when he fought against Mochida-senpai?" reminded Mari. "He saved Kyoko from becoming his prize. That was pretty brave and romantic."

"Hai. He also saved the home Volleyball team from certain defeat" added Hikari, blushing slightly remembering what Tsuna had sacrificed for victory.

"But he's so clumsy!" said the girl sitting to Kyoko's right, "Clumsy enough to fall down the stairs and break both his legs!"

"He didn't fall down the stairs Izumi-san!" said Kyoko a bit too loudly. "And he didn't just break his legs! He broke his arm and several ribs."

"How do you know that Kyoko?" asked Izumi.

Kyoko took a breath, "I know because I'm the reason why he's hurt. I wasn't paying attention when I was crossing the street and I didn't see a car speeding towards me. Tsuna-kun saw and tried to warn me but I didn't hear in time. He ran to me and pushed me out of the way."

The girls around Kyoko were shocked, never expecting that the truth behind Tsuna's wounds would be so breath taking.

"Sugei! I think I might just fall for him now!" said Mari shamelessly with her cheeks pink.

"He's even more courageous than I thought!" added Hikari.

"W-Well I guess he's not _that _clumsy" said Izumi, now having second thoughts about the young teenager.

The girls wanted to converse more on the young Vongola but the bell rang, ending their lunch period. They gathered their things and made their way to class. Kyoko began to walk with them but Hana held her back saying she needed to speak with her privately.

"Is something wrong Hana?" asked Kyoko.

Hana decided to be frank. "Are you and Sawada really just friends?"

Kyoko was a little surprised by the question but remained calm. "Yes. There's nothing between us other than our friendship."

"I'm not convinced" said Hana walking slowly towards her friend. "He nearly kills himself for you and for the past week or so you've looked after him as his nurse and tutor. Friends don't go that far so each other. Unless…"

Kyko stood there not saying a word but she felt she knew where her friend was going with this. Hana decided to cut to the chase.

"Kyoko, are you in love with Sawada?"

Kyoko blushed deeply and rushed past her friend unable to make conversation or even eye contact. It was just too much for her. Hana hadn't expected such a reaction from her friend but at least now she had her questions answered with clarity.

"One down one to go" she said. Tomorrow she would talk with Tsuna and see if he could answer her remaining questions; though she was very confident he could. She stared walking back to class with a smirk on her face. She knew she shouldn't be enjoying this as much as she should but she didn't care.

* * *

Hope you enjoyed that! Only two chapters left. How will it all end?

Next Chapter: Jealousy and Truth


	7. Chapter 6: Jealousy and Truth

Author's Note:

Well here it is everyone. Chapter 6 of Returning the Favor. It was fun to write but difficult as we're drawing closer to the conclusion of this great fic. I hope you guys enjoy it and keep on your toes as chapter 7 will be out soon.

Chapter 6: Jealousy and Truth

"…I hope you understand. Gomen Tsuna-kun" said Kyoko with a small smile.

Tsuna looked at her trying to keep his disappointment from surfacing as he gave her a nod. He was now worried. He had been afraid that with him returning to school Kyoko wouldn't spend her afternoons looking after him anymore. But the day before his fears had been calmed as his crush seemed just as keen as ever to look after him. Why was she changing her mind all of a sudden? Tsuna however caught himself. He wasn't some spoiled child. Kyoko wasn't a personal position nor was she forced to spend time with him. She offered to help him out of her own freewill; therefore she could leave whenever she wanted. She had her own life as well.

This explanation should have put the young mafia boss' mind to rest but his inherited Vongola Hyper-Intuition was kicking in, telling him that something was wrong. He needed to ask her. She said that she had to rush home to help her parents but it all seemed off. What was she hiding? Before he could ask however, Haru appeared out of nowhere and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Konnichiwa Tsuna-san!" she said happily.

"H-Haru!" gagged the young teen as her arms cut off a bit of his air supply. "What are you doing here?"

"Gomen Tsuna-san! I haven't been able to look after you with all my cram school classes. But now that they're over I can look after you like a good wife!" she said warmly hugging his neck more tightly, unconsciously cutting off even more oxygen from Tsuna's brain.

Due to Hara's happiness and Tsuna's asphyxiation, neither saw Kyoko glaring at them with jealous eyes. She could feel regret building and wanted to take back her story of having to help her family, but a friend who was watching the soap opera like situation whispered in her ear, breaking her resolve.

"Jealous?" grinned Hana.

Kyoko jumped in surprise, not noticing her friend's presence behind her. "H-Hana!"

"Well~?" she asked again leaning in for effect.

Kyoko could feel her cheeks burning but managed to respond. "D-Don't be ridiculous Hana!" she said with a shaky laugh and smile before walking briskly home trying to hide her blush. Hana smirked as she watched her leave. She would have to take another shot at her later to get her to confess openly. But for now it would do. Tomorrow she would begin the next part of her plan.

xXx

Though Kyoko had begun waking home at a brisk pace, she now had slowed down as she was deep in thought. She couldn't stop thinking about what Hana had said. Was she truly jealous of her friend Haru? That couldn't be. For her to be jealous of Haru she had to be in love…

"_Kyoko, are you in love with Sawada?"_

The red-head bit her bottom lip. Was she? It was definitely possible. When she thought about it, how could she not be in love? Tsuna has saved her countless times and was always looking out for her much like her brother. She felt safe when he was around and greatly admired his courage, both in battle and in daily life. Despite his timid and shy nature, he would throw away everything to protect his friends and family, even if it meant traveling through time. It was those qualities that she loved about him.

But this was what worried her. Was it truly alright to harbor such feelings for a friend? She may have said she could be considered family, she still felt that it wasn't what she wanted. She wanted to be more than simply friends but things were very complicated. Even more so, she knew that it could jeopardize not only her friendship with Tsuna, but her friendship with Haru. She had known about her friend's feelings for Tsuna but only now realized that they were a problem. She had to be honest with herself. She was jealous of Haru, partly because she was also chasing after the young mob boss' heart and attention, and partly because Haru was able to express her love openly; something Kyoko wasn't even ready to do.

That then made her halt in her tracks. There was no way. Haru wouldn't be so bold as to take advantage of this opportunity to make her move on Tsuna? It was a perfect opportunity for certain, working perfectly in her rivals favor. Kyoko bit her lip in fear. She prayed things didn't go where she feared they would. When she arrived home she was still unsure of the outcome, and had no other option but to sulk in her room.

xXx

At the Sawada residence, Haru was very happy to take over Kyoko's nursing duties; to Tsuna's dismay. He watched her as she prepared him a snack. He didn't hate Haru, far from it, it was just he didn't like the situation they were in. He partly disliked the whole situation because he wasn't spending time with Kyoko, and partly because he felt as if he was stringing Haru along. He was letting her believe they had a romantic future even though he had no romantic interest in her. His heart belonged to Kyoko and to Kyoko alone. Even though it was wrong, he couldn't bring himself to tell her the truth. He knew she would be devastated and he would most likely lose her friendship if he told her, therefore he remained silent. He knew he was a coward for his decision but he really had no other choice. There was so much at stake.

But he knew he had to tell her the truth; for her own sake if not his own. Also, he had to tell her the truth due to a more personal and selfish reason. Every time Haru called herself his wife and acted all lovey-dovey in front of Kyoko, he didn't want his crush to think he was taken. Granted there was no way she thought of him as anything more than a friend he left nothing to chance. Thoughts like those made him sigh. He hoped Kyoko didn't take it all the wrong way.

At the Sasagawa residence, Kyko sneezed. She groaned as she wiped her nose. Not only did she feel bad about Tsuna and Haru, but she was starting to get a cold. She pressed her face into her pillow just as her brother walked into her room with a towel around his neck. He had just finished taking a shower and was only wearing a pair of sweats.

"Ah that was a good shower! Something wrong Kyoko?" he asked looking her.

Kyoko said nothing. She merely groaned again into her pillow not in the mood to talk. She may not have said anything with words, Ryohei understood enough. Something was wrong and this made him worry. He walked back to his own room wondering what was bothering his normally bubbly uplifting sister.

xXx

The next day, it was Gokudera who wheeled Tsuna to school with Yamamoto and Ryohei in tow. While they were on their way, the Sun Guardian had a question he wanted answered.

"Ne Sawada" he asked, "Do you know why Kyoko's been acting differently?"

Tsuna blinked at the question. "Acting differently?"

"Ah. She's been gloomy since yesterday. She stayed in her room all night and didn't even come down for dinner. Did something happen after school? She normally goes to your house to look after you."

"Normally she does…but yesterday she said she had to rush home and help her parents."

"Ka-san and Tou-san?" said the boxer in surprise, "Both of them are on break and all Kyoko did yesterday was mope in her room like I said."

This made Tsuna sweat. Were his fears coming true? His Hyper-Intuition hadn't failed him before and it was keen to keep that record flawless. Something was wrong with Kyoko if she was lying to him to sulk in her room; but what was it? What had causing the normally happy young woman who always brightened up his day to be sad? What was bothering her? Were the previous day's events the reason for her odd behavior? But the only way that was possible was if Kyoko had feelings for him.

That was impossible.

Everyone had their ups and downs and Kyoko was just having a down day. She probably wasn't feeling well and just came up with an excuse to save face. Despite his senses were working overtime he suppressed their warning this one time. It was best to give Kyoko a wide birth until she was back to her regular self, regardless of the time necessary to do so.

When the group arrived at school, Ryohei said his goodbyes and headed to his own classroom. His kouhai on the other hand headed off to their own first period classroom. When they entered Tsuna's eyes immediately fell upon his beloved Kyoko who looked slightly saddened, staring at her note book as if deep in thought. Gokudera wheeled his boss to his seat which was right across from Kyoko.

"O-Ohaiyo Kyoko-chan" he greeted her kindly.

"…Ohaiyo Tsuna-kun…" she replied distantly, not making eye contact. Tsuna felt something in the pit of his stomach twist. He realized that this was what Ryohei was talking about. She wasn't acting like herself at all and seemed to be in distress. His Hyper-Intuition was right all along. He decided that it would be best for him to speak to her privately during lunch. Whatever was bothering her he would do his best to help sort things out.

xXx

At the sound of the bell the students met up with their friends to enjoy their break from their classes and enjoy a nice lunch. Tsuna pulled out his bento and placed it in front of him. He then turned to his crush, who was clearly still in a depressing mood. He mustered his courage and spoke to her.

"Ano Kyoko-chan, I was wondering if you would like to eat lunch together?" he asked.

Kyoko snapped back to reality by his words and looked at him with her eyes slightly wide. "A-Arigatou Tsuna-kun, but I promised I would eat with my friends today. Su-Sumimasen." She stood up and walked briskly out of the classroom with her bento in hand and a blush quickly creeping across her face. Tsuna watched her leave with his heart sinking. What was going on? Something was clearly bothering her but what? Did she hate him? And if she did why? All these thoughts were swimming through his mind with such ferocity he didn't notice Hana walk behind him and place her hands on the back of his wheelchair.

"Let's go Sawada" she said snapping him out of his thoughts and began to wheel him out of the classroom before he could protest. Unfortunately Gokudera caught them out of the corner of his eyes and stopped them.

"Where do you think you're going with the Jyuudaime?" he asked somewhat menacingly.

"Back off monkey boy" said Hana giving him a glare before continuing her way out. Gokudera gritted his teeth and was about to shout at her but Yamamoto placed a hand on his friend's shoulder.

"Ma ma. Let'em go" he said with a smile. "I heard from Senpai that she wants to talk to him about something important." Gokudera shrugged him off wanting to slug him but decided to comply. He wasn't sure what that woman wanted with his boss but as long as Tsuna wasn't in trouble he didn't have to worry. What he did have to worry about however, were the numerous members of his fanclub surrounding him in hopes to share their lunches with him.

Tsuna and Hana said nothing until they were on the school grounds, away from any fellow students. The young woman brought Tsuna to a halt and stood in front of him with her arms folded and a focused glare which made the young mob boss swallow. She seemed to be examining him which caused him to unconsciously hold his breath. Had he somehow angered Hana as well as Kyoko? When he heard her inhale he tensed up, expecting the worse.

"I assume you've noticed Kyoko's odd behavior" she said. Tsuna blinked not expecting such a question, and held his breath for a few more seconds before exhaling to respond.

"A-Ah. I think it's my fault. I think I've made her mad so how" he said nodding with a sad look on his face. He dropped his head not able to look her in the eye as he felt shame wash over him. His head snapped up however when he heard laughter. He looked up to see Hana laughing heartily with one hand on her stomach and another failing to cover her mouth. Tsuna didn't understand why she was laughing, but it certainly wasn't making him feel better.

"You're so naïve Sawada" she said managing to straighten herself. "Don't worry. Kyoko isn't mad at you and you've done nothing wrong. But I do know why she's been acting differently. Want to hear the good news?"

Hana couldn't stop herself from grinning at his eager nodding. He really was in love with her friend. This made her "good news" even that much sweeter. "She's in love with you."

3…2…1

"EHHHH!" shouted Tsuna practically jumping out of his chair, a dark shard of crimson across his face. This wasn't happening. It was all just a dream. There was no way that it was true. Kyoko could not be in love him. She was incredibly out of his league and he certainly didn't have anything to offer. It just didn't make any sense. He knew Hana was very good friends with Kyoko which placed her in a very good position to know if there was a boy in her friend's life. But that didn't mean that Sasagawa Kyoko was in love with _him_.

"Trust me it's true" reassured Hana, folding her arms. "She's been in love with you for a while. A year at least."

Tsuna was sweating profusely as his heart pounded in his chest. Was she telling the truth? Hana had no reason to lie. She had known about his feelings for Kyoko for a long time and despite her strict, somewhat stoic attitude, she wasn't the kind of person that would take pleasure in playing with one's emotions. So was it all true? Did Kyoko love him? He could cry from happiness. But if it was true, what was he supposed to do?

"Doushita? I thought you would be happier" said Hana.

Tsuna took a breath. "I-I am happy. I've never been this happy. I-It's just…I don't know what to do…"

"Isn't it obvious?" said Hana. Tsuna looked up and recoiled slightly as his classmate placed both her hands on the arm rests of his wheelchair allowing her to be at eye level. Tsuna was a little uncomfortable as their faces were rather close, allowing him to take in her scent; which pained him to admit he liked as he felt he was betraying Kyoko. "Confess to her! I've known you've been in love with her for a long time and that you're a good person. But if her hurt her in any way you're dead meat got it?" she said holding up her right fist with a smile that would worry most.

"C-Confess? I-I couldn't do that. A-And we wouldn't even get together if I did confess" he said.

"Man up and confess!" she said slamming her hands on the armrests making the young teen flinch. "I know you're shy but you need to be a man and take charge! Kyoko is pretty shy herself so she won't confess unless you do it first."

Tsuna was still in disbelief. "A-Ano Hana. I-I'm still trying to believe that Kyoko-chan loves me. It just seems all to-"

He wasn't able to finish his sentence as a fist came down sharply on his head.

"You save her from being run over, break who knows how many bones, and then she looks after you, cooks for you, helps you with your school work and helps your mother with the chores. She's become a housewife for you! She would only go that far if she cared for you more than a friend!"

Tsuna stared at his knees in shock. She was right. It all made sense. Kyoko really did love him. He could almost feel tears building in his ducts but a more pressing matter kept them back. What was he supposed to do now? Hana had answered that question for him already but he didn't have the confidence to go true with it. How on earth was he even supposed to face Kyoko now?

xXx

The final bell of the day rang throughout the school letting the students out of their classrooms like grey hounds on a race track. Tsuna placed his last text book in his bag but his elbow knocked over a worksheet onto the floor. He leaned over to pick it up but he couldn't reach it. To his surprise someone picked it up for him. When he looked up to thank his benefactor his eyes widened, his heart stopped and his mouth went dry. It was Kyoko.

"_She's in love with you…"_

Hana's words began to echo in his mind kick starting his heart into high gear. What was he going to do? What was he going to say? His mind was blank and all he could hear was his heart pounding like a percussion drum. He couldn't even lick his lips to try to speak let alone think of something to say. But his worries amazingly disappeared when Kyoko smiled warmly at him as she handed him his work sheet.

"You're always so clumsy Tsuna-kun. Are you ready to head home?" she said sweetly. Tsuna was at a loss for words but somehow managed to nod. The young teenage girl took hold of the wheelchair handles and wheeled her friend out the classroom door with Gokudera and Yamamoto in tow. Hana watched them leave with a smirk on her face as she shuffled her papers before placing them in her book bag.

"Looks like my work today is done" she said to herself, feeling her master plan was coming together nicely. She swung her book bag on her shoulder and walked out rather contently. She decided that she was done with the couple for today and would leave them be as she had some personal business to take care of.

xXx

When the group arrived at the Sawada residence it was only Tsuna and Kyoko. Both were uneasy as they hadn't been alone together since Hana had approached them. How did things turn up like this?

"_Wari mina" said Yamamoto with an apologetic smile, "My dad just called me saying he needs help with the shop. A bunch of foreigners turned up wanting to eat the best sushi in Japan. He doesn't want to lose."_

"_I'm still worried about what the Kyuudaime said. I'm going to patrol the area with Cavallone" said Gokudera. _

Now in Tsuna's bedroom things were rather nerve racking. Tsuna was sitting up on his bed while Kyoko was sitting at his chabudai table in the seiza position. Why was the house empty? If things were different he would we overjoyed but now he was panicking. They were completely alone and it was definitely a problem. What was he supposed to do? Tsuna was still trying to wrap his mind around what Hana had told him that afternoon. Kyoko having feelings for him. It was mindboggling. Only in his wildest dream was that possible. But now after looking at his crushes behaving and Hana's detailed analysis, he was starting to believe it was true. However, he felt he needed more time to take it all in; but with Kyoko so close to him it was proving rather difficult and even made him afraid.

Despite Kyoko's normal calm appearance, she was in the same boat as her crush. Before helping Tsuna home she had had to summon all her courage to face him. She had said that she would look after Tsuna until he was healed as she would keep to that promise even if she was still shocked by coming to terms with her feelings for the young mafia boss. She had kept her distance as she was unable to face him but felt pain in her heart not being able to see or speak to him. Though Kyoko was still wary about having such strong feelings for a friend, she was grateful for Hana helping her see the truth. What she was going to do next she did not know.

They remained in an awkward silence as they were both unsure of what to say. Before joining Tsuna in his room Kyoko had made a pot of tea and served it, but both were so deep in thought they haven't taken a sip. The tension was mounting to the point the young teens felt like the room was going to collapse on itself. Then they took a leap of faith.

"Ano" they said simultaneously cutting each other off.

"Y-You first Kyoko-chan" said Tsuna.

"I-Ie Tsuna-kun. You can go first" insisted Kyoko. They passed it back and forth until Kyoko spoke first.

"G-Gomennasai, Tsuna-kun" she said hanging her head slightly. "I haven't been acting like myself lately. I-I've just needed time to deal with something important which is why I haven't been able to look after you. I hope you can forgive me."

Tsuna was stunned by her words. _She _felt like she had done something wrong? Could she be any kinder and selfless?

"I-It's alright Kyoko-chan. You haven't done anything wrong" he said quickly. He then looked away. "Y-You don't have to go so far for me…"

"_She's in love with you…"_

"Yes I do!" said Kyoko almost shouting. "I promised that I would look after you until you've fully recovered from the accident because-"

'Because?' thought Tsuna.

In both their minds they completed her sentence.

"_Because I love you."_

Both their faces began to turn red as the words echoed in their minds. In the end it was too much for Kyoko as she stood up abruptly to say something to cover up any indication that she loved him but was unsure of what to say. Before she could think of anything she tripped over her zabuton cushion, causing her to fall onto the bed. Her hand landed onto Tsuna's and her face was very close to his. They stared into each other's eyes unable to act, with their flushed cheeks burning even brighter. Their noses were only a few centimeters apart, allowing them to capture each other's scent and breathing, making their heart beat even faster. To them, the world had stopped.

Unfortunately, their moment of bliss was cut short as Kyoko snapped back to reality.

"G-Gomennasai. Su-Sumimasen kudasai!" she cried grabbing her book bag and running out the door. Only when the front door slammed shut did Tsuna snapped back to reality.

"Matte! Kyoko-chan!" he shouted but it was far too late. She was gone. It was over. Any chance they had was gone forever. Before she turned away he saw tears falling from her eyes. He slammed his fists onto his bed in anger with clenched teeth. The tears that were nearly apparent when Hana had told him Kyoko was in love with him were now pouring down his cheeks. But they were not the sweet tears of happiness; they were the bitter tears of pain and heartbreak.

* * *

Next Chapter: To The Past and To The Future.

What will happen next? Will Tsuna and Kyoko get together or was it just never meant to be? Find out in Chapter 7, the explosive conclusion to Returning the Favor.

I hope you don't all hate me for the cliffhanger XD. By the way, while writing this I've had "She Loves You" by The Beatles and "Tell Her about It" by Billy Joel playing in my head XD. Great songs, you should listen to them. Better than that Pop and Rap you kids listen to these days. See you all next chapter!


	8. Chapter 7: To the Past and To the Future

Author's Note

Well here it is people. The final chapter of Returning the Favor. It's been an amazing riding and I am very much glad for writing as well as for all who have read it. Some have pouted that this was the end but none flamed me. I hope you guys aren't disappointed by this last chapter. It was difficult, especially when typing in the last few words. I want to partly blame the lateness on the fact my internet has been retarded but another part to blame is my reluctance to end it. And with that being said, please enjoy the final chapter of my first Katekyo Hitman Reborn fanfic, Returning the Favor.

Chapter 7: To The Past and to the Future 

Hana walked briskly across the school track towards the athletic clubhouses on the far side of the Namimori campus. When she reached one clubhouse in particular he grabbed whole of the door and slid it open roughly causing it to make a loud bang.

"Ryohei!" she shouted.

The silver haired boxer jumped causing him to drop his boxing gloves that he had been polishing before Hana arrived. "D-Doushitai (What's wrong), Kurokawa?" he asked with a bit of worry in his voice. Hana marched right up to him with an almost angry look on her face which caused her senpai to sweat slightly; and he was already covered in sweat from his roadwork.

"You've noticed Kyoko's behaviour right?" she asked.

"I-I'm not sure what you mean. She was a bit sad a few days ago but-"

"Open your eyes Ryohei!" shouted Hana taking a step forward making the boxer flinch. "Older brothers should take better care of their younger siblings! Kyoko has been depressed!"

Ryohei straightened up immediately. "Nani? Why is she depressed? What's wrong?" he cried with clenched fists.

"That's what I want to know" she said folding her arms. Hana was not sure what was going on but it was not good at all. Everything had been going well until the day after Kyoko went home with Tsuna. What had happened between them during that time?

"I'll look into it" she added. "I'll see what I can find out about what's bothering Kyoko. You should keep your eyes open for anything odd or out of the ordinary." She turned her back to him and walked back towards the clubhouse door. Only when she opened it completely did Ryohei remember something.

"Matte Kurokawa!" he called out to her making her stop. "Sawada has been acting differently as well. He looks like he's sad and has been like that for days."

Hana's eyes widened slightly. The boxer's words were now making her very worried.

xXx

For the past few days, Tsuna and Kyoko had been avoiding each other. Kyoko was no longer looking after him; which Haru was more than willing to take up the job. Neither of them were able to look each other in the eye, and if they ever ran into each other in any other place than their classroom then they would walk away. Both were too frightened from what had happened that afternoon at the Sawada home to speak to each other. But as well as the fear, they felt greatly saddened for not being able to make up and see each other. The other members of the Famiglia seemed to notice their friends change in behaviour, even though Tsuna and Kyoko had tried to hide it. The Guardians said nothing as they had no idea what was going on but decided to leave them be until they felt the couple was ready to speak openly about their problems. Hana on the other hand was not as patient.

She observed the young couple closely and could clearly see that something had gone very wrong that afternoon. Things had been going well and she had expected it to turn out like those corny soap operas her mother always watched when she came home from school. It seems that things did not turn out that way. Why? Could Tsuna have hurt Kyko in some way? Though she would most definitely keep to her promise to hurt him if he hurt her friend, see had purposely made that threat an empty one. She knew very well that Tsuna would never hurt Kyoko and knew he was perfect for her. So why were they avoiding each other? Why weren't they together?

From what she could piece together from their behaviour, there were two possible explanations. One Tsuna had confessed to Kyoko but Kyoko was still too shy and afraid to accept his feelings leaving them both disappointed, and two they didn't do a thing even thought they knew they loved each other, thus leaving them in a depressive mood. Hana was betting it was the latter. How dense were those two? It reminded her of that American saying that you can lead a horse to water but you couldn't make it drink. In her current mood Hana would most likely shoot the horse. She knew she had to speak to both of them as soon as possible, but decided to speak with Kyoko first.

When the bell sounded for lunch, Hana was the first to stand and walked directly to Kyoko's seat. She grabbed her friend by the wrist and dragged her out of class, ignoring her words of protest. Hana continued to drag the red head until they reached an abandoned part of the school. Unlike her dear friend she wouldn't beat around the bush.

"What happened?" she demanded.

"W-What do you mean Hana?" asked Kyoko politely. Kyoko was not able to make eye contact with her friend as she herself knew exactly what she meant.

"Don't start with me!" shouted Hana pointing at Kyoko. "You and Sawada were supposed to confess to each other the day after I spoke with you. Everything was set up perfectly. Instead of seeing you two in each other's arms you've been avoiding one another looking depressed for the past three days. Tell me what happened!"

Kyoko stayed quiet. She couldn't say the words she wanted to say. The fear of uttering them and accepting her feelings was constricting around her every time she tried. It was just too much. For Kyoko, admitting her feelings would drag her down into a deep despair. She shut her eyes tightly to try to hide from it all but opened them again when she felt a pair of hand resting on her shoulders. She looked up to see Hana looking at her with a soft expression.

"Please Kyoko. Tell me what happened" she asked again softly, almost uncharacteristically.

The red head look at her friend's concerned eyes and felt slightly calmed. She began to feel the words bubbling to the surface, her friend now giving her some confidence. Unfortunately those bubbles began to burst along with her new found confidence. She couldn't do it. The fear was just too strong. She ran from Hana pushing past her and ignoring her friend's cries for her to stop. Hana stood on her own for a few moments, realizing that her master plan was now spiraling out of control. She was now very worried. If she didn't act fast the damage would become permanent as those two would never patch things up, let alone get together.

Hana realized what she had to do. She ran as fast as she could back into the school and headed straight for her classroom. Without hesitating she rushed to Tsuna and grabbed his wheelchair to wheel him out. Once again however Gokudera wanted to know what was going on. And this time round we was going to get an answer.

"Wait a minute woman!" growled the Storm Guardian, "Where the Hell do you think you taking-"

"Urusei you dumb monkey!" she shouted back. The entire class froze from her death stare and could not say or do anything until she left the classroom. Both Tsuna and Hana remained quiet until they reached a secure part of the school. When they arrived Hana wasted no time. "What happened?"

Tsuna closed his eyes knowing exactly what she was talking about. He took a deep breath. "When Kyoko-chan and I were at my place, we were alone. We sat together doing nothing. I didn't know what was wrong with Kyoko but I couldn't say anything because all I could think about was what you said. She said she wasn't mad at me and almost said..."

"Almost said what?"

'I love you' "S-Something. She then tripped and fell onto me. We stayed like that for a few moments before she got up and ran out the house. She was crying." Tsuna closed his hands into tight fists, "I don't know what I did wrong. There's no way I can look her in the face again."

Hana remained quiet as she looked at the sad teenager. She didn't know what to say. What could she say? She could see the pain in his eyes, the same pain she saw in Kyoko's eyes. It made her mouth dry up and made her stomach hollow but heavy. Was this really love? For the majority of her life she rolled her eyes at romance in every shape or form, yawning at romantic films and soap operas, not believing in such fantasy. There was no way love was like that. Even when she saw that handsome boy wearing a dress shirt trimmed with a black and white cow pattern, she didn't feel she was in love with him. At least, not like Tsuna and Kyoko were.

"Do you...really love her that much?" she heard herself ask.

Tsuna looked up at her. "Yes" he said.

All was quiet for a while as the words began to sink in; both to Hana and Tsuna. Unbelievably, Hana took a step forward and placed her hands on the boy's shoulders and smiled at him in a way he had never seen before.

"Don't worry Sawada Tsunayoshi. Everything is going to be alright" she said softly. "And Kyoko doesn't hate you."

"But how do you-"

"Trust me" she said wheeling him back to class "I'll make sure everything will be alright. "

Tsuna said nothing. He decided it would be best if he did trust her. If she really could fix everything, then he would trust her with his life. After dropping him off, Hana went off to eat her bento on her own. She had to think of a plan of action for after school. She had work to do.

xXx

"That explains things" said Ryohei as he threw punches at his sandbag.

"Doesn't it bother you at all?" asked Hana as she leaned against one of the ring posts.

"Iie" he said between punches. "If I ever wanted someone to date Kyoko it would be him. I'd trust him with my life as well as hers."

"Hmmm" hummed Hana with a small smirk, "That explains why you've been so willing to help me. Unbelievable. They love each other, they have the older brother's approval and they still need my help to become a couple. People would kill for such luck but they squander it away."

"So..." said Ryohei stopping the sandbag from swinging. "What are we going to do to fix this?"

Hana sighed. "I don't know. They're both scared of losing each other's friendship and company so they won't confess to each other even though they're madly in love with each other. We need to have them confront each other without them running away or else they'll never get together."

"I have an idea" said the boxer keeping his back to his kouhai, "I could lead Sawada to specific place in the park while you lead my sister to the same place. That way they could confess without felling too forced."

Hana blinked in surprise never expecting him to come up with such a plan. "That might actually work! It's so simple yet so cleaver. You're smarter than you look Ryohei. But the only way this plan is going to work is if the timing was perfect." Her eyes trailed across the small boxing club until her eyes rested on something she recognized; Ryohei's boxing bag. She opened it and fished out his cell phone. "Here's my number. Call me later tonight so we can work on this plan of yours. I have to go help my mother so call me at around 8. Don't forget!"

"I won't. Talk to you later Kurokawa" he said as he was about to return to punching his sandbag.

"Oi Ryohei" said Hana causing the boxer to halt. "You can call me Hana if you like."

"A-a" he said blushing slightly before throwing fast one-twos. Hana looked at him for a moment wondering why he was suddenly acting so nervous. Her eyes then landed on his back which she hadn't noticed before was quiet muscular. She immediately caught herself and left the boxing club in a hurry, wondering what on earth was she thinking? Her quick movements however could not stop a warm blush creeping up on her face.

xXx

The next day the final bell rung throughout the campus, finally allowing the students to return home. Some were eager to study while others eager to forget. One student however had other plans. Hana tossed her book quickly into her book bag and walked up to Kyoko.

"Ne Kyoko, do you mind helping me with something?" she asked.

Kyoko looked at her friend and blinked before nodding and followed her out the classroom door. What the red head did not see however was her friend pressing the send button on her cell phone, sending a text message to a certain someone.

Tsuna had finished packing his book bag and looked over to his right to catch a glimpse of his crush but felt some pain in his chest when he saw she wasn't there. He then noticed that Hana wasn't at her seat either. This made him think over what his self-proclaimed matchmaker had said. Would she really be able to patch things up between Kyoko and himself? Was that what she was doing right now? What could she possible do to make the pain stop when even he didn't know what was causing it? Hana seemed to understand the situation better than he did which was not as much of a comforting thought as he thought it would be.

"Jyudaime!" said Gokudera happily, "Shall we head home?"

His right hand man's words shook the young mafia boss out of his thoughts, adding a nod to allow Gokudera to wheel him out of the class. Before they could leave however, Ryohei entered the class and walked directly to his boss.

"You don't have to bring him home Takoheado. I can do it" he said.

"Like Hell!" shot back the dynamite expert defensively. "After what you did to the Jyudaime last time, there's no way I'll allow you to-"

"Wakatta" said Tsuna understanding there was something more to Ryohei's offer. He would not betray his Hyper-Intuition again. Ryohei nodded and took hold of Tsuna's wheelchair and left the others behind. Gokudera hung his head as he felt more useless than ever.

"Ma ma" said Yamamoto trying to comfort his friend.

"Urusei" said the silver haired Mafioso without lifting his head.

xXx

After a while of traveling, Tsuna realized that they were heading towards the park and not his home. He knew that now was a good a time as any to have his senpai tell him why he had volunteered to take him home.

"Onii-san" he began, "Why do you need to talk to me?"

The boxer stopped pushing Tsuna's chair and walked in front so he could look his boss in the eye. "I know you have feelings for me sister" he said frankly. Tsuna froze in terror. How could this be happening? How did Ryohei know? Did Kyoko tell him? Did he find out he had hurt Kyoko? Was he going hurt him out of revenge for his sister? Ryohei wasn't like that was he? After all Tsuna was still badly injured from the accident. Of course Ryohei would hurt him if he had made Kyoko cry. He had done it once and he was more than capable of doing it again. Tsuna thought of trying to defend himself but decided not to. Even if he could fight back he wouldn't as he deserved what was coming.

"I-I'm sorry!" blurted out the teenager before bowing. "I never meant to make Kyoko-chan cry! I don't know what I did wrong but if it makes things right please hit me!"

"I-Iie Sawada, I'm not going to hit you" said Ryohei holding up his hands in the air. "I want to say that I'm ok with it."

Tsuna looked up with tear filled eyes. "H-Honto?"

"Ah" replied the Sun Guardian. 'Wow. Hana was right about Sawada. He really does love Kyoko that much'. "You've always been protective of Kyoko and always made sure she was safe; like me. You respect her, always putting her before yourself. There's no way a man like you could hurt her. I trust you with her and I want to help you to get together."

Tsuna's eyes widened at his friend's words. He wasn't mad at him? He was alright with him being in love with his sister and wanted to help him become her boyfriend? Was this all a dream? He quickly wiped his tears and bowed several times. "A-Arigatou Onii-san! D-Demo, Kyoko-chan doesn't feel the same way about me" he said sadly.

Ryohei looked at his boss for a moment. 'It's just like Hana said. He thinks so little of himself.' He wasn't sure how he was going to get Tsuna's confidence up until something from not that long ago popped into his head. "I'm not so sure. Whenever I mention you at the dinner table, Kyoko always spoke very highly of you. She'd always be smiling, and when Tou-san and Ka-san would tease her about having a crush on you, she'd blush and say it wasn't true. We could tell she was lying cuz she bites her bottom lip a bit when she lies."

The young Vongola boss could feel his cheeks grow warmer and his heart beating stronger. Kyoko spoke highly of him? She really did have feelings for him? Were things finally looking up?

"Th-Then what are we going to do now?" he asked eagerly. Before Ryohei could respond his cell phone began to ring, playing "Inner Light" by Shocking Lemon. This made Tsuna sweat drop as he recognized the song. 'That's the song from the second Hajime no Ippo opening. How much more into boxing can he be?' he thought.

Ryohei looked at his phone's caller id and saw it was Hana. He flipped the phone open and placed it to his ear. "Hai?"

"_Where are you?" _she asked.

"I'm with Sawada at the park" he said.

"_Stay where you are. I'll bring Kyoko to the bench on the far side of the path near the pond."_

"Wakatta" he said before closing his phone and turning to Tsuna. "Sawada, please listen carefully. Hana and I have been planning a way for you and Kyoko to meet and make up. Kyoko will be waiting at a bench near the pond in the park."

Tsuna immediately felt fear. He couldn't confront Kyoko yet. He still felt so insecure and afraid. But he then remembered what happened that afternoon. How Kyoko had cried. He never wanted to see her like that again. He wanted things to return back to normal, where Kyoko was smiling and they were friends. Yes that's what he wanted. But strangely, he felt he wanted more. If Kyoko truly did love him, and he loved her, why not get together? He knew he couldn't run any longer. He had to face Kyoko and tell her his feelings face to face. If not that, then at the very least patch things up between them, as he never wanted to see her cry again.

Tsuna grabbed the wheels of his chair and headed towards the bench near the pond. "Arigatou Onii-san! I promise I'll make things right!" he shouted over his shoulder. Ryohei smiled and nodded, knowing that his boss would keep his word. Suddenly he stopped him.

"Matte Sawada! Answer me one thing" he said. "From your own mouth, how much do you love my sister?"

Tsuna was taken slight aback from the question, but he answered confidently. "I love her more than my own life. I want her to be happy and would do anything for her. I want to protect her and be with her for the rest of my life." And with that, Tsuna was on his way.

Ryohei was amazed by his kouhai's powerful words, but smiled as they felt just right. He quickly sent a text to Hana warning her to clear out before Tsuna arrived. She replied that she was already on her way.

Tsuna wheeled himself through the park until he spotted Kyoko sitting on her own where she was supposed to. He couldn't help but take a moment to admire her, as he hadn't had the chance to in days due to their unfortunate misunderstanding. She was so beautiful it blew his mind to think she loved him back. He knew it was embarrassing but he had to pinch himself one last time to see if it was all a dream. He felt pain but he also felt his confidence building. It was now, or never. He took a breath to steady himself before wheeling himself up to his crush.

"Konnichiwa Kyoko-chan" he said. Kyoko immediately looked at him in the eyes and stared unable to speak. Tsuna was also unsure of what to say. He cursed himself for not thing of anything before hand but knew he had to be honest and himself.

"Can I sit next to you?" he asked. Kyoko nodded but remained quiet. Tsuna turned his wheelchair so that he could lift himself out of the chair and placed himself onto the bench right next to Kyoko. They sat there for a few moments in silence before they both tried to speak.

"You first Kyoko-chan" he said.

"I-Iie Tsuna-kun, I can wait. You go first" she said softly.

Tsuna decided that he should take charge and bowed his head. "Gomen Kyoko-chan. I don't know how I made you cry the other day but I'm sorry. I hope you don't hate me."

"I could never hate you Tsuna-kun!" said Kyoko grabbing his hand. A strong blush appeared on Tsuna's face but he still looked at his crush and felt his heart pound at her warm smile. "The reason why I cried was because I was running away from something I didn't want to admit. Something that I realized a month ago." She wanted to say more but she hesitated, still slightly afraid to admit the truth. Tsuna took advantage of her hesitation to speak.

"I've been running away to" he admitted. "I've been running for two years. And now, I've decided to not run anymore." He had to say it now. He couldn't hold back or hesitate. His heart pounded in his chest which he could easily hear in his ears. He squeezed Kyoko hand. "I love you Kyoko-chan!"

After the words left his mouth it was quiet. Tsuna said nothing as he waited for her response. He would now know once and for all if she loved him back. If she didn't, he couldn't even think of such an outcome. He made sure to look her in the eye so that she knew he was serious, and that she wouldn't take it for a joke like the first time he confessed. To his horror, she began to cry. He felt his heart shatter and his will to live drain away. He was wrong. Hana was wrong. Ryohei was wrong. She didn't love him. But right before he was about to apologize, she wrapped her arms tightly around him.

"Kyoko-"

"I love you."

"Nani?"

"I love you Tsuna-kun!" she repeated loudly.

Tsuna was stunned. It was true. She loved him. She loved him back! He returned the hug gratefully with a smile on his face that could not be measured. He took in her warmth, her scent, her love. He took it in and locked it away in his heart if he ever needed it to comfort him. Kyoko was doing the same as she too was having trouble believe he loved her back. Before Tsuna had arrived Hana had told her that he loved her. At first she couldn't believe it as Tsuna seemed too busy with Vongola to think about girls. But she was incredibly happy to know he felt the same way she did. The fear and doubt she had about harboring feelings like love for Tsuna had finally melted away and bloomed into confidence and strength. She felt safe in his arms and didn't want the moment to end.

They remained in the hug for a minute or so before breaking it to look in each other's eyes. Both could see they were filled with love and that it was building stronger without any signs of stopping. Now drunk on love they acted like the world around them didn't exist. They were trapped in their own little world where fear, doubt, pain and worry were nonexistent. They felt that anything was possible and the sky was the limit. And thanks to that, they did the one thing they wanted most. They slowly leaned in for their first kiss.

They didn't know what they were doing but it was gentle and full of love. The texture and taste of each other's lips was not what they expected but was surprisingly pleasant. It didn't last long but to them it was truly amazing. They broke apart and stared again in each other's eyes before melting into a gentle embrace.

"I love you Kyoko-chan" Tsuna whispered in her ear.

"I love you too Tsu-kun" Kyoko whispered back. Tsuna blushed at his new nickname. The only other person to call him that was his mother, and for him that meant that he was truly a special person to Kyoko. Then it hit him. This wasn't the first time he had heard Kyoko call him Tsu-kun. When he first fought against Tazaru to protect both younger and older Kyoko, her older self had called him Tsu-kun. That meant that they were together in the future because they had gotten together now. Despite the shock, Tsuna began to laugh.

"What so funny Tsu-kun?" asked Kyoko confused at his outburst.

"It's nothing" he said smiling, hugging her more tightly. "I'm just happy."

Kyoko smiled back. "Hai. Me too."

The couple remained in their love filled moment blissfully unaware of their two benefactors observing them from atop a hill overlooking the pond.

"Looks like things turned out well" said Hana with a smile.

"Guess so" replied Ryohei with a smile of his own.

"You're sure you ok with this?"

"Hai. Kyoko is happy. That's all that matters."

Hana nodded and looked back at the couple. She had never thought about love in a positive way but she had to admit that they were making her think twice. Maybe love wasn't such a bad thing after all. "I wonder what the future holds in store for those two" she said.

Ryohei looked over at her; almost fondly. "It's going to be fine."

"Oh? What gives you that idea?" she asked looking at him. He turned his head back to the couple to hide his blush.

"Just a hunch." It was more than just a hunch. He remembered very clearly a framed photograph in his room in the future where he and Hana were together with Tsuna and Kyoko who were holding their first child. He had panicked enough when he saw the photo of himself and Hana, but seeing his nephew and his brother-in-law was on a new level. But after hearing how much Tsuna loved his sister, he now found his secret knowledge was comforting. Their future was a peaceful and happy one, and perhaps so was his.

"To the future then" said Hana.

Ryohei nodded. "Ah. To the future."

xXx

Several weeks had gone by since that day, and many things had changed. Everyone was now aware of Tsuna and Kyoko's relationship and had taken to it differently. Yamamoto and Gokudera cheered them on as they had both known about their boss' feelings for Kyoko. Chrome found it cute despite being secretly disappointed, as she found Tsuna cute and handsome. Haru on the other hand was obviously devastated. She didn't understand when her friends had fallen in love but it was clear she was in pain because of it. This was what Tsuna had been trying to avoid since the day Haru had fallen in love with him. With Kyoko's help they sat Haru down and explained to her everything that had happened and how much they loved each other. By the end it seemed that Haru had understood and was on her way to get over the shock; though she was gloomy for a few days.

By this time Tsuna's wounds had fully healed which allowed him to date Kyoko seriously, enjoying time together at local restaurants, cinemas and parks. He had also had dinner with Kyoko family, as her parents had wanted to meet him every since she began talk about him at the dinner table and even more so when they began dating. At first Tsuna was worried about meeting them but was relieved after discovering they were kind normal people (Ryohei must have been a wild card). In turn Kyoko had dinner with Tsuna's parents; which Iemitsu just happened to be able to attend. He teased them both mercilessly but meant no harm.

Throughout the time Tsuna has spent dating Kyoko, he had been thinking. He thought about how his life had changed. From the day Reborn had arrived at his door step to tell him he was next in line to inherit the throne of a Mafia empire, to being in a loving relationship with his crush who he never thought he would ever be able to speak to. He had finally acquired friends who he could trust and laugh with when times were not so bright, and a lover who he could hold and hold him back. He thought about how lucky he was to have them all, as his life was so boring before they became part of his life. He thought about what would happen if they were gone. It was a terrifying thought indeed but he did think of it, and realized that he would never let it happen.

"Buonasera Tsuna-kun" said the Kyuudaime warmly. "I've heard from Iemitsu that you've found yourself una bella ragazza (a nice girl/girlfriend). Congratulazioni! Now, what is it that you wanted to speak to me about?"

Tsuna took a breath. "I've been thinking...I'm very lucky. I have family, friends, a girlfriend, people I can rely on. It made me realize something. I want them to be safe and happy. I want them to be able to live lives the way they want and not have to look over their shoulder. I understood why Dino became the boss of the Cavallone Famiglia even though he never wanted to be. He wanted to protect his family. I want to do the same. I accept the responsibility of the 10th boss of Vongola."

xXx

"I'm glad Tsuna-kun. Let's speak again soon. And have fun with your boxing practice. Ciao" said the Kyuudaime before ending their video call. He sighed and leaned back into his chair.

"So he finally accepted the position" said Lal.

"That brat took his sweet time didn't he? Kora!" grinned Colonnello.

"Destiny is not an easy thing to accept" added Oregano adjusting her glasses.

"He has cometh a long way after all" smiled Basil.

"He still has a way to go" smirked Reborn.

The Kyuudaime sighed again. "I should feel more content and relaxed by this but I'm not. Are you certain he's dead Iemitsu?"

"Ah" said the older Sawada as he poured a yellow colored drink into several glasses at the bar. "Nicolo Rizzuto was shot and killed by a sniper in his own home."

"Do we know who ordered the hit?" asked Reborn.

"Iie" said Iemitsu turning to them with the glasses in his hands. "We have no idea if it was from New York or from Italia. What we do know that it the power struggle in our nation is not unconnected. Rizzuto made frequent trips to Sicilia. He may be retired but he was definitely up to something."

"The question is what" said the older Mafioso.

"Don't worry about it. You're a Nonno after all" added Iemitsu. (A/n: Iemitsu is making a pun. _Nono_ is Italian for "Ninth" but in this case he calls him _Nonno _which is pronounced the same way. _Nonno_ is Italian for grandfather, thus Iemitsu is calling him _Ji-Ji_; an old man).

"Cheeky youngster" smiled the Boss, taking a glass from Iemitsu. "Ah a nice Limoncello."

"Ah. From the south" added the older Sawada, handing another glass of liqueur to Oregano. "Wari Reborn. I'd give you a glass as well but with a body like that…"

"Don't worry" said Reborn, dipping his hat to cover his eyes. "I hate lemon."

THE END

OR TO BE CONTINUED?

* * *

Well, that's that. The final chapter. The end of the road. And what a road it's been. I hope you enjoyed it because it meant a lot to write. I didn't want it to end but I guess it had to...

Or does it?

Perhaps I could write more? Maybe I'll come up with something? Who knows. If you guys would like to keep up to date with my work here on fanfiction follow me on twitter (DragonofEastblu).

Ciassu!


	9. This Fic Will Be Deleted

Hello my faithful readers. I have bad news. Due to FF's insane censorship plan most if not all my fics will be deleted. If you want to read my work follow me on Twitter to learn where I'll be reposting. I never thought things would get this bad. Let's hope we can pull through together.

/dragonofeastblu

-Nick, DragonoftheEastblue


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